To Win The War
by YvettE S
Summary: Editing. After a Woman's Ban is put on the war, Ginny Weasley runs away to fight. Disguising herself as a man, she joins Camp Firmus Adstringo. Will she survive as a soldier when her Commander is the love of her life Draco Malfoy?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Anything affiliated with the Harry Potter universe all belongs to JK Rowling.

_They say good things come to those who wait…_

The gray clouds above billowed over the once blue sky. The sun no longer wanted to shine, so it bowed to the harsh colors of an on-coming storm. The trees swayed as a small, yet harsh wind came upon the Scottish land. Slowly, little drops of rain descended from the gray above, washing the sin from Earth and man.

Clutching the necklace that lay on her chest, Ginevra Molly Weasley stared out into the land. Through the window, which gave the once lush earth a grimy look, she saw the trees blow by the ocean wind. The dark clouds floated in and out of her sight, and owl after owl flew back and forth from Merlin only knew where. Giving a small sigh, she turned her sight from the window to the people sitting in Albus Dumbledore's small office.

Silence filled the small space, as twelve people sat waiting. No words were dared spoken. Every once and a while a small cough or word of encouragement was shared; other wise, silence. Every so often, looks would be shared between a few people, followed by looks around the office, finally landing on some one slumped in a chair.

Harry Potter sat in that chair, hand and head in bandages, cuts and bruises on his face. His body illustrated fatigue, his eyes portrayed sadness. No one spoke to him from the time he joined the family at the entrance to Hogwarts. Too many emotions came with talking to The Boy Who Lived; he had too much to explain. However, no matter how angry Ginny was with him, she couldn't help but feel the need to comfort him. Slowly, she left her spot by the window and sat next to Harry.

He looked up at her with alarm; his eyes glistening, hints of fear and adoration etched in his deep green eyes. Her face gave no emotion away; she simply wrapped her arms around his neck, and placed her head gently on his shoulder. Ginny felt him stiffen for a moment, and then slowly, very slowly, did he ease into her touch. Harry took a bandaged hand and placed it gently on the side of her head, basking in the feeling of her against him once more. The family looked from one to another, questioning each other with looks. Molly sat up in her chair, and opened her mouth to say something about Ginny's choice when the door silenced them.

The handle jiggled, and slowly it was pushed open from an outside source. All twelve looked up to see if Albus had finally returned. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case. Draco Malfoy entered the office and took a look around. The party showed their disappointment with him walking through the door and not Albus, and went back to the earlier activity of silence. He took their disappointment with a grain of salt and looked for a particular redhead. His eyes turned stony when he saw her get up from Potter's arms and walk toward him. He looked at her with icy eyes, yet, when she wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a firm kiss on the lips he knew he had nothing to worry about. Ginny gently led him to where she was sitting and placed a chair next to hers. So, in front of the Headmaster's table sat Harry, Ginny, and Draco.

The waiting continued. Hands ran through hair, legs shook impatiently, and tension was running high. The moments ticked by with out a word, even the paintings of old Headmasters were afraid of speaking. This was a moment none of them would forget. Soon enough Arthur Weasley was fed up. He, most of all, needed an answer and needed it now. He stood up quickly, having all twelve pairs of eyes stare at him. Opening his mouth, he attempted to tell the others of his plans when the grand door flew open.

Albus Dumbledore walked sullenly in; his long pale face showed weariness. His white beard was tangled with bits of dirt mixed in. He said nothing to the party, only walked quietly over to his desk and sat down, all eyes on him. He took off his half-moon glasses and wiped them with his once elegant robe. Soberly, he placed them back on his face and sighed. Looking up, he met the expectant group of thirteen and nodded.

"It is done. Harry has rid the world of Voldemort at last."

There was a stunned silence and then, like a title wave, cheers erupted all through the small office. Hugs and tears were shared, as words of encouragement and a new life was passed from one to another. Ginny turned to Harry; who had a stunned look on his face, as if what the Headmaster had just said wasn't true. She touched his shoulder slightly, causing him to jump a bit and look at her. She smiled softly at him and enveloped him into a hug.

"I knew you could," she whispered softly. He closed his eyes and felt the heat radiate from her body, but all too soon the heat was gone as she pulled away. She gave him another quick smile and turned to a scowling Malfoy. She squealed something incoherent and kissed him passionately on the lips.

"Please," Albus' interrupted, holding his hand up to silence the joyous bunch. "Harry may have won the battle." The crowd went silent. "But a war still needs to be won."

Twelve people looked at each other in question. How could a war still need to be won? Harry's victory was the final battle! With Voldemort's destruction, was supposed to come peace, unity, and a new life for all those who had suffered under his rule. A war? That was the war; there should be no more sorrow if Harry had done what he was supposed to.

"I know what many of you are thinking," Albus said softly. "The war should be over. The Death Eaters should be fleeing for their lives. This, however, is not the case." The great Wizard then opened his envelope and brought out a sheet of parchment. The party looked at it warily. It was covered with dirt and another dark substance. Albus held it gingerly before them and shook his head.

"This letter came to me personally this morning," he took a moment, "on the body of Hestia Jones." Nymphadora Tonks gave a small cry and Remus Lupin turned to her, wrapping a comforting arm around her. She buried her head into his shoulder as tears leaked down her small face. A good friend and a damn good Auror had just passed. "It is a declaration…of War," he paused, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose, "issued by your father, Mr. Malfoy."

All eyes flew to Draco Malfoy once his father was mentioned. Draco visibly stiffened as he looked at the Head Master. A callous look came over his face as his lips tightened. Molly Weasley, overcome by maternal instincts, went to him, giving his shoulder an affectionate squeeze. Ginny then wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek. He looked over at her and his icy wall melted. She smiled warmly at him and rested her head on his shoulder.

"What the context of the letter was I will not retell; it is far too disturbing, even for the likes of me." He put the parchment face down on the table. "Yet it is simple, the Death Eaters are not affected by their Master's defeat. They think they still have a chance to take over the Wizarding world. Lucius Malfoy has taken the place of Voldemort as their new Lord." Draco gripped Ginny's hand. "He has taken it upon himself to declare war on the Wizarding world. Therefore, we must fight or else many more innocent people will die."

Dumbledore took a deep breath and looked at his friends. All of them wore a forlorn face as the information he gave them sunk in. The party began to look from one to another: a third war? The people filling the office could not take another war. They had already lost so many, including Percy Weasley and his fiancée Penelope Clearwater, Dennis Creevey, Minerva McGonagall, Parvati Patil, Luna Lovegood, and countless others they knew and loved. Not to mention the great Alastor Moody, who had gone missing months ago. Much more destruction would go on if they let another war happen. Arthur Weasley looked up at his family and friends, worry written all over his face. He inquired Dumbledore about the amount of Aurors left.

"I have been meaning to talk to you about that," he started. "I am thinking that not enough people have been enrolling in Auror training; that and the fact that it takes three years and we need people now," he sighed. "If I know Muggle History, I know that in their past wars they encourage people to enlist- or sign up- for wars, and from there those people are taken to camp and taught the needed skills."

Everyone looked at each other with furrowed brows. Just let anyone into Auror training? Small questions were passed between one another, not to mention questions of Dumbledore's sanity. Arthur once again voiced the question plaguing all their minds: that wouldn't be enough time to teach new wizards and witches the necessary stealth and disguise techniques. Not to mention the intensive hand-to-hand combat training and advanced curses.

"I understand your concern Arthur, but if we have all our Commanders and those who have actually been in war and know what it takes at the camps teaching then I think the new wizards and witches would do just fine." He smiled as warmly as he could at his friends as they nodded their acceptance. "Now, if you have no further questions, I think all of us would like to get some sleep, and spend time with our…loved ones." Albus directed his last comment and Ginny and Draco.

"Actually Albus,." came Arthur's voice as his family began to file out, "the Commanders and I would like a word." The elder wizard furrowed his brow and nodded.

"Of course," he replied, beckoning the few men standing at the door. They all nodded and stood in front of the Headmaster's desk. The six Commanders of the Order who stood before him were Ron Weasley, Remus Lupin, Bill Weasley, Draco Malfoy, Harry Potter and the Minister of Magic, Arthur Weasley.

"Albus, we have some concerns," the Minister started uneasily. "We have noticed a few… consistencies with the Death Eaters and their attacks."

Albus pushed his half moon glasses up his nose and nodded. "Which are?"

"Women," Arthur stated plainly. "During these last few years, we have seen an extraordinary amount of women die. Many of them died in ways…ways I dare not speak of; horrible, brutal deaths. They seem to…" he stopped and took a breath. Ron then came to his side, and finished for his father.

"We think that the Death Eaters are targeting Witches, even more so than Muggle women. It has gotten to the point where Tonks, my mum, Hermione, and my sister- who is only in her 2nd year of training- are left. We obviously lost our last female Auror today," he sighed deeply. "It is getting too dangerous; these are the women we love." All the men nodded, each one of them held those women close to heart.

"So what we are proposing," Arthur interjected with a slight apprehension, "is a Woman's Ban."

Nothing was said the moment after his statement. A worried look came over the Headmaster and the six men thought that he might explode with astonishment. Instead, looked at them with confusion and smiled uneasily.

"A Woman's Ban?" he asked and the others nodded "I do not think that to be a fair idea."

"Well, we know it sounds bad- not to mention sexist- but you have to understand, Albus,." said Arthur, leaning on the Headmaster's desk. "All of them have been used by Death Eaters. My wife still has trouble sleeping; all she sees is the dead bodies that surrounded her. Hermione has put extensive charms not only around our home but hers, thinking that someone will try and kidnap her again. Tonks is unable to go to Diagon Alley with out one of us going with her. And, our Ginny still can't sleep due to her harsh nightmares."

"I understand your concern," began Albus, "but I cannot let them be excluded from the war…"

"Many of the women have already died," voiced Draco. "I know the Death Eaters only keep women for their own…" he cleared his throat, "personal enjoyment."

"Yes, but this has always been the case. Women have been a target because they are seen as inferior, and it will stay this way if you don't let them fight" the Headmaster argued, looking each of them in the eyes causing them to turn away in shame.

"I know it doesn't sound good now, but the witches will see that we are doing this for their own protection," the Minister sighed. "I have talked to Hermione, Tonks, and my wife about this and they completely agree. They figure the women of the Wizarding world have gone though enough and that this time they will stay out."

"What about medical needs?"

"Huh?" Arthur replied.

"Well, will witches be able to work as Medi-witches?"

"We have talked about that and we think if the Death Eaters catch on that there is a Woman's Ban then get word that there are Medi-witches, they may get the idea to capture them, trying to make a point."

"You all have given this a lot of thought haven't you?" questioned Dumbledore. The other men looked at each other and nodded.

"Yes, we have. We also think that this is the best way to keep our girls safe. We know it is sexist, but we also know that they will be fine with it."

"If I remember correctly you have talked to Molly, Miss Granger, and Miss Tonks, correct?"

"That is so."

"What about Ginevra Weasley?" Albus inquired with a raised brow. The men, excluding Harry, looked at each other with guilty faces. "Mr. Malfoy?" Draco looked down at the ground for a moment, then back up at the Headmaster.

"I have not…that is…we haven't really gotten around to talking to Ginevra about this," he bit his lip, "yet."

"Ah. Do I sense apprehension in bringing this up to the future Mrs. Malfoy?" Harry looked up at Malfoy with alarm. He saw Malfoy glance at him from the corner of his eye and then back to Albus. "I will take your silence as a yes."

"Ginny will understand," Ron said, filling the silence with his booming voice. "It's not that we are afraid of telling her… exactly. It's just that we know she won't take the news lightly. It will take a lot persuasion but she will eventually understand."

Albus smiled knowingly. "But as I understand it she has wanted to be an Auror since her first year. How can you deny her the chance of being something she has always wanted to be?"

"This is a different time Albus. There aren't enough Aurors to keep her safe! She will do much better staying home with Molly and the others!" exclaimed Mr. Weasley, going red in the face from Albus' instigating.

"Yes but who will protect you if she isn't out there?" The men looked at Albus, dumbstruck. Oh, they hated his way with words! "I do not agree with this Woman's Ban. You wanted my opinion and that is it. It is unfair and there are many witches out there who can hold their own."

The Minster fumed. This was not how it was supposed to go! Albus was supposed to agree with him, sign the law, and it was to be settled. Who was to protect him and his boys? No one, they could do it themselves!

"I am the Minster of Magic," Arthur started with tight lips. "I brought this to you in hopes that you would agree with me

"Arthur, I do not."

"But it does not matter. I just wanted your opinion on the matter. The Commanders and I all agree, and if you do not sign this law" he said, taking out some parchment, "it doesn't really matter. It will be passed. Our girls will stay home and not go into war." With a cold look, he placed the decree on the desk. Taking a quill he scribbled his name on it, passing it to Ron, Bill, Draco, and Harry. Remus was the last to take it. He looked down at the parchment for a long time, then at Albus.

"Go on Remus," coaxed Arthur. Remus gave a sigh and shook his head as he signed . He was doing it to keep Tonks safe.

"I assure you Arthur," said Albus with a smile, "there will be one to get it. Women will fight in this war."

"If they do…Albus…then those women will make an appearance in front of the Wizengamot and have their wand broken in two." He smiled uneasily at Albus and then turned on his heel to head out the door.

"We will see!" called the Headmaster with a grin. "Yes…we will just have to see."

…………

A/n: Hi All, this is Yvette S and I am reposting this story, I have a GREAT new beta now that is helping me with grammar and spelling errors! THANKS MELINDA! I hope you all enjoy my work! I wrote this story over two years ago and I thought I should give it another chance to prove itself without all the mistakes it had before! I hope you all enjoy and I will be posting about once a week till it is finished!

Thank you all!


	2. Chapter 2

_They say you don't know what you've got till it's gone…_

_"_Mum?" called the youngest redhead. Twenty-one year-old Ginny Weasley walked down the rickety staircase of the Burrow and sat at the dinner table. She sat there somberly, reading the letter gripped in her hand over and over again. Her brow furrowed as she bit her lip. She looked up at her mother, who was scrubbing furiously in her sink.

"Mum?" she called again.

"Hmmm…" replied her mother distractedly.

"I…I just got a letter from my Commander," she said softly. Molly Weasley faltered in her cleaning, and then started scrubbing harder after a few moments.

"Oh, that's nice dear."

"No mum, it's not nice." She let out a shaky breath. "He says…Commander Diggle…"

"Diggle?" questioned her mother.

"Yes, you know Commander Dedalus Diggle," she said exasperatedly.

"Yes, his wife is delightful. She gave me this wonderful teapot once…" Molly prattled on, washing some pots and pans. Ginny huffed angrily.

"Mum?"

"Oh, and they have the most charming daughter. She's about Charlie's age. Lamina and I have been trying to set them up for months!"

"You know Charlie doesn't go on blind dates," said Ginny with a sigh. Her mother shook her head.

"He will never find a girlfriend if he spends all his time with dragons. Nice girls don't train dragons…"

"Mum, you're not listening!" hissed Ginny. "He just sent me an owl…"

"Who dear?" asked her mother happily. The young red head growled.

"Commander Diggle. He told me he is letting me out of Auror Training." She looked at her mother with a miserable expression. "Mum, I don't understand it. I was top of my class."

"Gin, come here and help me with these pies. All the boys are coming for dinner in ten minutes."

The young woman sighed angrily and shoved the letter in her pocket. Grudgingly, she began to take out pies from the oven. She kept looking at her mother expectantly, waiting for some kind of sympathy but her mother kept washing and putting away dishes (all by hand, which Ginny found odd). She looked up at Ginny and smiled at her warmly.

"Help me set the table. Draco is coming tonight, right?"

Ginny sighed angrily. "Yes."

"Lovely. I always love it when he comes. Except, he and Ron always get in some sort of fight."

"Mum, I really need…" started Ginny setting a plate down a bit too harshly; Molly took in a sharp breath.

"Be careful, Gin! Those are my good plates," Molly scolded. Ginny's temper flared. She didn't need her mother to tell her to set the table. The young red head needed answers and she knew for a fact that her mother had them. Ginny knew her mother's tale-tell signs too well.

One, her mother was bringing up subjects she only talked about when she had too many glasses of wine. Two, she was doing all the chores the Muggle way and not magic, giving her a good chance to avoid Ginny at all cost.

"Mum," started Ginny once more. "I really need some advice about what to do."

Looking at her mother, she almost dropped a water glass. Yet, with her quick reflexes- thanks to the Auror training she was just let out of, she was able to save it.

"Ginny! You almost dropped that cup! Merlin, can't you focus?" she snapped. Ginny's mouth fell open and her eyes went wide staring at her mother.

"Damn it, mum!" she yelled, slamming her fist on the table. "Are you listening to me? I've been kicked out of my dream! I am trying find out why, when I was top of my class, and you want to talk about being focused on setting the bloody table!"

"Ginevra Molly Weasley you watch your mouth!" snarled Molly with her hands on her hips. Ginny didn't care; she stood to her full height, being a head taller than her mother. She glared down at the older woman.

"Why am I being kicked out of training?" Ginny's lip trembled as she felt tears forming in her eyes. "I know you know mum. Why?"

Molly closed her eyes and sighed. The older woman set down the last of the plates and gripped the top of a chair. She thought for a moment. How could she tell her daughter that she couldn't fulfill her dreams because she was born a girl? Since Ginny's first year at Hogwarts, it had been her dream to become an Auror and destroy the evil wizards that ruined her life. She declared it to all her family when she was merely twelve.

"Ginny…" her mother started warily. "You… won't understand."

Her daughter's face fell into one of pain and confusion. "Won't understand what?"

Molly closed her eyes. "What had to be done."

"Mum, you're not making any sense," she said softly.

Molly looked at her beautiful daughter. She could do so much. She had the world in the palm of her hand and she wanted to do the only thing that she wasn't allowed to do. She could have been a journalist, worked in fashion, gotten a job at the ministry, or even been a homemaker like herself. Yet that was never good enough for the youngest Weasley. She wanted to prove she could be just as strong as her bothers. Deep down, Molly knew Ginny could do it. Molly knew her daughter was special, that she could be a top Auror just like Draco and Harry. She knew she could…but she just couldn't…

"Gin…they…" but a distraction came just as Molly opened her mouth. The door to the Burrow burst open and a sea of redheads came flooding in, along with a few brunettes and a blond. They talked excitedly about work and inhaled deeply when they smelled fresh baked pies.

"BOYS!" called Molly, welcoming the distraction. Ginny looked at her with an astonished expression. Her mother walked right by her and into the living room to greet and give all the men a hug. She went from Arthur to Ron, and even gave Draco a small kiss on the cheek. When she got to Harry, she gave him a small smile and a squeeze on the shoulder. Harry glared at Malfoy.

"Is dinner ready?" asked Arthur, hanging his robe. Molly smiled and nodded then leaned closer.

"Ginny just got the letter from Diggle."

"MUM!" yelled a furious Ginny. Everyone turned around to see her red in the face, clutching the letter in her hand. "TELL ME WHY I AM BEING KICKED OUT OF TRAINING!"

Silence ensued.

Ginny's brown eyes scanned the crowd. Something was going on. All her brothers had an "oh bugger" look on their faces. Each of them avoided her eyes, looking around the room like it was the first time they had ever seen it. More tears fell from her eyes as a realization came to her mind.

"You know?" she questioned in a whisper. "You all know? If you knew why didn't you TELL ME!" she screamed. The men winced at her voice and turned away. She stood there for a few minutes, mouth wide, waiting for an explanation. She furiously wiped away tears and sniffled.

"Mum? Dad?" she questioned and they looked down. "Bill, Charlie… Fred, George?" Each gave her sympathetic eyes. "Ron, Hermione?" The older girl bit her lip and Ron grabbed her hand.

Ginny looked at the last person she wanted to ask. Bending her head, she looked into his down cast eyes, making him look up. "D-Draco?" she asked he looked up at her and saw the pain he held inside. He knew, too.

"Ginny…" her father said, stepping out from the crowd. "We need to talk."

* * *

Ginevra's heart nearly stopped. She looked at the eight men and two women standing before her. She stared at them with confusion and anger written in her eyes. Slowly she looked toward the ground and sighed. She felt like a fool, a complete and utter dolt. 

For so long had Ginny been happy being a woman. She was the only girl of the Weasley family and therefore had pretty much anything handed to her. This would be the first time in history when she would curse not only her family, but also the Gods for making her a woman.

"I don't get it," she said softly. Her mother moved to put a hand on her shoulder, but Ginny brushed it away. Molly took back her hand and frowned at her daughter. If you were to look at this Ginny Weasley, you would think her no more than a child. All her family stood before her, and there she was: sitting on the couch, looking so small, so vulnerable. It broke their hearts. "A Woman's Ban?" she inquired, looking up at her father. "That's unfair."

"Gin, we did it for all the women in the Wizarding world. It is the only way to keep them safe." input Ron with a smile. Ginny glared at him and shook her head.

"No Ron, It isn't the only way to keep us safe. I would be safer out there than sitting here, waiting for someone to come and get me," she growled.

"So many women have already died horrible, disgusting deaths. We didn't want you to go through that kind of torture," said her father, trying in vain to reassure her.

"And what makes you think I will even get captured? Do you think that I am so dumb that I can't watch out for myself?" she cried, beginning to breathe heavily. "What do you take me for? An incompetent? I was the only girl in training, not to mention top of my class. That has to account for something!"

"Yes Ginny, Diggle was very reluctant to let you go. He tried, he really did, but it has been the law since that day we all went to see Dumbledore," offered Bill. Ginny shook her head in disbelief.

"That was only a fortnight ago!" She looked around like her world no longer made sense. "And he agreed? Dumbledore agreed to this…this…thing!"

The men looked at each other and grimaced. "Well, he didn't exactly agree…" Ron told her, "but, it was passed anyway. Dad made sure it did…"

"You passed this?" she said astonished, looking at her father with wide eyes. "You …my father…are the one responsible for doing this to me? Crushing the only dream I ever had?"

Hermione stepped forward looked at Ginny sympathetically.

"We all agreed on it, Gin. Even I thought it better to stay here. It will be much safer…"

Ginny silenced Hermione with her hand. "I know Hermione Granger is not telling me about staying out of something. Especially something as important as this! How can you just stay home? What about all those things you told me about not giving up, and that just because they are men doesn't mean that they are any better than me?" she huffed. "You told me that, Hermione! When I first started training, you convinced me to stick it out! And now, you want me to just sit by and let our men go out and fight! Ha! That's bollocks!"

"Ginny you have to understand," started Bill, kneeling in front of his little sister. "These are not Commanders who are training you. When you go out there into real battle, no one holds back. You have to kill or be killed. You think it will be like training but it is nothing like that! It's disgusting... and painful! I don't even know why I can still do it after all this time."

"I know, Bill," interjected Ginny with annoyance. "I have been out there, with Charlie, when we got attacked by Dolohov," she said flatly.

"Yes Gin, you did," Charlie acknowledged. "But you also went down after only one Cruciatus Curse."

"The only reason I even received that Curse was because you got distracted. Remember?" Ginny smiled a bit too sweetly. "I took that curse for you." Charlie's lips went tight and he visibly paled.

"T-that you did Gin. But still, if you cant handle one of those…"

"And if I remember correctly, I was the one who battled Goyle. Let me just say, he is useless with a wand and prefers hand to hand combat." She lifted her eyebrows. "He nearly broke my arm." Charlie opened his mouth but Ginny kept going. "And, since I am the only one to remember correctly even after I suffered from that curse, I was still able to stun Goyle, while you just let Dolohov go while fussing over me."

"Ginny, you were badly hurt! You were in St. Mungo's for two weeks."

"I know and I made up those two weeks in training by tripling my hours on the field," she sighed. "I am not a little girl. I can handle myself."

Arthur looked at his daughter. Damn it! He hated how stubborn she was; just like her mother. Arthur took a long breath, trying to calm his shot nerves. He rubbed the bridge of his nose and looked at her sternly.

"Ginny, I know you are strong. But you will not, I repeat WILL NOT go into this war!" he growled. Ginny shook her head.

"No dad, I will, I repeat, WILL go into this war. This is not just your war; it is also mine. I belong to this world, too. I should be able to fight for my family. You know this is what I have wanted to do since Tom Riddle." The family flinched a bit at the mention of that incident. "You can't deny me my chance."

Arthur wanted to hit himself over the head. Why didn't he think of this when he first made up the law? Maybe he was only thinking of his wife, but he forgot his daughter: the one who really had a reason for going into war. She wanted to make sure that what she went through would never happen to any one else. And now…Arthur was failing his little girl by denying her the opportunity.

"I can't let you go into war, Ginny," he started. He saw her eyes flare and her lips go tight. "If you go, I will personally," he breathed in heavily, "snap your wand."

Ginny began to tremble as tear after tear fell down her face. So, they wanted to keep her from fulfilling her dream? No bloody way!

"Then snap it!" she hissed at her father. All the men took a step back. "I don't care what any of you say! There is only one person who matters and he has yet to object to my decision." Ginny turned to Draco who had been leaning on the fireplace. He hadn't the guts to look at her. "Right, Draco?" she came.

He let out a long sigh as he heard her words. Could Draco Malfoy deny the only woman he had ever loved? No, he couldn't- he wouldn't- but he had to. He wanted that ring on her finger to stay there until they were old. He wanted her to be alive after this new war was over. He only signed the decree…for her.

"No," he whispered softly. Ginny's heart began to break. "No Ginny, I don't agree with you." He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. "I will not let you go into this war."

A thousand more tears fell down Ginny's porcelain face as the words left his mouth. He wasn't going to support her? After she supported him through everything that went wrong since they've been together? Did four years of being together mean nothing? Was this war going to break everything they had?

"What?" she cried in a hurt whisper. "Draco, what are you saying?"

Malfoy moved from the fireplace and stood in front of her. "I will not let you go into this war." He held his head high. "I absolutely forbid you." He could hear the family take in a deep breath. He watched as Ginny's eyes went from brown to blazing.

"You forbid me?" she yelled in astonishment. "YOU FORBID ME?" she screamed in his face. Ginny ran her hand though her hair, letting out a growl. "Last time I checked, Malfoy," at the sound of his last name coming out like a curse, Draco smirked. "I am not your wife yet. So you forbidding me is absolutely out of the question." She let out an angry breath. "I am going to tell you- all of you- something! I am not a little girl! And I don't need your approval. I am going out to war. Someone- some camp will take me! I will be in this bloody war whether you like it or not."

"You think any one will take you?" he chortled. "No one will. Do you understand me! I will personally make sure that any Commander who takes you as a solider will be sent to Azkaban."

"You won't." She snarled.

"Oh, but Ginny, I will."

Ginny looked at her husband-to-be and melted. "Draco," she whispered. "I need you by my side. I need you to stand up for me."

He swallowed audibly. "I can't…" he whispered back. He cupped her face and looked at her softly. "I just can't." This was the breaking point. Ginny pulled her face from his hands and stood back.

"Fine," she said. "If you don't have my back on this, I will go alone. I have to do this!" With that, she turned on her heel and started making her way towards the door. The family began to look from one to another wanting to stop her, but at the same time no one had the heart.

"GINNY!" called Draco. She kept on walking. "If you walking out that door… you can forget about us." The young red head stopped in her tracks and froze. "If you go into this war, you can forget about getting married, about us, about everything." She turned around and looked at him, brow furrowed.

"What?" she asked. Her family looked from one to another, astonished at his words.

"Draco?" gasped Molly. "You don't know what you're saying."

"I know exactly what I am saying," he said, face stony. Ginny and Draco locked eyes.

Her confusion and his stubbornness met and for a long time nothing mattered as they stared at each other.

"I might as well have never existed to you if you choose war." The love of his life let tear after tear fall down her face. With a heart-breaking sob, she fled up the stairs. The entire family said nothing until the door to Ginny's room was slammed.

When Draco heard the door slam, he let out a shaky breath. That was the hardest thing he had ever done. He covered his face with his hands as he thought to himself. I swear never to say anything like that again. He was taken out of his reverie when he felt a hand on his back. He turned his head to look at Molly Weasley. She smiled softly at him, looking deep into his silver eyes. Though he kept his façade, she could see the regret of his words, and her only response was to nod.

"Dinner," she said simply, turning away and herding the others into the kitchen. When Draco turned around, Harry Potter was the last one standing, looking at him with a raised brow.

* * *

Draco Malfoy lay in his bed on the third floor that night, grumbling to himself as he tried his best to find a good spot on the lumpy mattress. A few good partial dreams later, he felt something warm on his face. He titled his head towards the warmth and gave a satisfied sigh. The warmth then began to push his blonde hair out his face and traced his jaw. His gray eyes fluttered open to see an angel sitting on his bed. 

"Gin?" he questioned groggily. She smiled softly and nodded.

"Go back to sleep, Draco," his love uttered. He smiled at her and did just that. As the moments passed and she continued to trace his face and he heard her begin to speak.

"You hurt me today, Draco," Ginny said softly. "And when I ran to my room, I fell on my knees and cried. I cried so much that I couldn't breathe." His brows furrowed as he listened. "I got to thinking, thinking about my family, my friends, my life, you, and basically, I just couldn't understand why you would do this to me."

His gray eyes opened and stared at her brown ones. She had small tears rolling down her face. She wore a pained expression as she looked at him. He sat up and took her in his arms. Gently, he began to lean back down to the bed, bringing her with him. She let tear after tear leak on to his pale chest. He said nothing, just held her as tight as he could. To him, the world could end now for all her cared, as long as Ginny was by his side. Draco kissed her head and took a deep breath, taking in the smell that was Ginevra soon-to-be Malfoy.

"I love you," she whispered softly. He did not reply, only held her closer. "I've loved you since the moment you touched me. I could never love any one as much as I love you. I want you to know that will never change." The two lovers lay there for a moment as the Chuddley Cannons clock ticked on. Draco began to drift off into sleep as her tears kept falling on his chest.

Soon, Ginny pulled away. "I have to go," she said softly, he sighed and nodded.

"Your brothers may come in and find us," he acknowledged and with that he smiled a bit. Let's just say, he still couldn't look Fred Weasley in the eye.

"Goodnight, Draco." The blond heard the quiver in her voices and said nothing. Things would be better in the morning.

For a few moments, the room was silent. Draco's mind began to relax and he felt a deep sleep coming on. Just before his body was to turn off for the night, he heard something strange. His sharp hearing kicked in as he heard the swish of robes. He opened his eyes, barely enough to see out of, and witnessed Ginny Weasley putting on her dark blue robe; her dark blue traveling robe. Draco's breathing began to grow heavy as he watched her take off her necklace, a present he had given her for her twentieth birthday. The red head then picked up a small bag. Draco's eyes flew open and at that moment, she turned to look at him.

"Draco?" she gasped in astonishment as she thought him to be asleep. He sat upright.

"What are you doing?" he questioned, his breathing quickening. She shook her head and began to back out of the open door.

"You made me choose," she said softly, tears falling down her face. "It's your fault. I loved you! I would have done anything for you, Draco, but you can't ask me to choose between my dream and you."

"Ginny…" he began as he slowly rose out of bed. Unfortunately, he forgot he wasn't wearing any pants. He looked at her with a scared expression; Ginny's face fell as she watched him.

"Forgive me…" she said. "I love you." And with that, she bolted down the hall.

"GINNY!" Draco yelled, as he watched her robe disappear.

Draco found the first pair of pants he could and hastily put them on. He looked around the room for his wand. He could still hear Ginny's steps as she made her way out of the house. He grabbed his wand and ran out of his room.

He was on the second floor when he heard the front door open, and then slam. "NO! GINNY!" Draco ran faster, reaching the front door and throwing it open. He barely even heard the voices that rang through the house behind him.

He could still see her. Oh, how he thanked Hermione for putting up those wards within two hundred feet of the house. His pace quickened as he bolted for her. He thought of throwing a curse at her…something…anything to make her stop. But his mind had melted; he didn't know left from his right. All he knew was that he needed to get to Ginny. She was so close to the edge of the wards.

"PLEASE!" he yelled, but it was too late. The red head had passed through the wards. She turned around and faced him, wand already above her head.

"I love you," she said, and with a flick of her wand she was gone.

Draco stopped dead in his tracks. He stared at where she had been only moments ago. His mouth fell open and his eyes began to sting. She left. His wonderful, beautiful, perfect, woman had just disappeared before his eyes and he hadn't even said 'I love you' back. It was only after a few moments that reality hit him. She was gone. His heart beat faster and faster as he heard the voices of the Weasley's calling to him. He paid them no mind. He only stood still.

Molly Weasley was the first to get to him. The woman ran to her future son-in-law's side and put a comforting hand on his back, hugging him to her.

"What happened?" she asked after a few moments. Molly almost lost her train of thought when she saw his face, stony and angry.

"She left." His voice was hoarse. "And I didn't even tell her I loved her." He cleared his throat and looked into her eyes, his lips set into a thin line. Mrs. Weasley saw the struggle in him, the urge to cry and rage at the same time. But he stayed silent, his body shaking. She then began to cry, not only for Ginny's leaving, but for Draco as well. She knew Ginny was the only person he ever loved and now she was gone.

"Oh, Draco," she said, throwing her arms around him even though he didn't respond. She let her tears fall in place of Draco's because she knew that he wouldn't.

"I love her," he said simply. "I didn't mean what I said; not one word." She wiped her eyes and looked up at him sadly.

"I know you didn't Draco. I know."

* * *

Miles and miles away in the city of London far from Ottery St. Catchpole, a young woman with red hair and brown eyes fell to her knees, crying in a dark alley for the man she had to leave behind…

* * *


	3. Chapter 3

_They say things do not change; we change…_

It had been two months since Ginevra Weasley left the world she knew behind. The river of tears that flooded her nights had dried up. Though her heart still ached every waking moment, Ginny knew she couldn't dwell. She would start a fresh new life. Having already gotten the locations of other camps in Britain, she was ready to be a solider. There would be only one more thing she would need to change: herself.

The young red head ended up in the county of Northumberland, in Northern England. According to the map, Camp Firmus Adstringo wasn't too far into the countryside. Taking off her robe, Ginny placed it into her bag and took out a small notebook. Her curious brown eyes looked up and down the street she had wandered upon.

Ginny looked into her notebook going over her list of items. Checking to make sure she had written down everything she needed, she looked around for a market. She put a wrap around her hair, and walked across the street.

The red head looked at "Jensen's Market" nodding her head in approval. Furrowing her brow she began to look curiously at the fruit and other vegetables on the display case outside. She looked into the store and caught two boys staring at her. She simply rolled her eyes and gave a large sigh. The men in the Muggle world were disgusting. They literally gawked at her as if they had never seen a woman before.

The two began to whisper to each other as she entered. She merely held her head high and began wandering about the small market picking up the items she needed and passing those she didn't. Both boys stood a little taller to get good look at the newcomer. Ginny tried her best not to pay them any mind. She was, after all, an engaged woman.

When she had all the items she needed and tired of their eyes constantly on her, she walked up to the cash register. She slammed the small blue basket on the countertop and smiled sarcastically at them. The two looked at her, dumbstruck for a few moments; the woman furrowed her brow.

"I'm ready," she told them.

"Huh?"

"I said I am ready." The boys looked at each other through the corners of their eyes and then back at her. She picked up an item and placed it in one of their hands. "Can we hurry, please?"

"Yea…" replied the other.

"Good. Now ring me up so I can get out of here."

"Huh?"

Ginny sighed angrily. "My items, I would need to buy them unless you are going to give them to me for free?" The boy she had touched widened his eyes and blushed furiously.

"Right," he said quickly, taking her stuff out of the basket. She glanced at the other boy who stood a little further back, smiling at her. She merely grimaced and began looking around the shop. It was a quaint little place, obviously family owned.

"So, what's your name?" she inquired suddenly, taking out a piece of gum and popping it into her mouth. The two young men smiled at her.

"Daniel," replied the larger boy.

"And you?" she directed to the other. The one using the register looked down at her breasts first and then up at her.

"Casey, but people call me Case."

"Casey," Ginny replied, nodding her head. "That works."

"What's your name?" asked Daniel, leaning on the counter. She shrugged.

"Camilla" she lied simply. He tried to flash a grin only for it to come out awkward.

"It's sexy."

"So I've been told," she looked away from him and back at Casey, his brown hair covering his eyes.

"My name means brave," he told her suddenly, his face turning bright red.

"That's nice," Ginny nodded. "So, what do I owe you for the stuff?"

"Oh," said Casey, looking at the register. "It's uh…£18.15." She smiled at him and handed him the Muggle money she had acquired over the past few weeks through various means. He touched her hand lightly and took the money with a grin.

"How old are you?" Ginny asked, they looked at each other and shrugged.

"I'm 18," replied Casey.

"I'm 19," said Daniel.

"That's what I thought. Thanks boys." Ginny grabbed her bags and proceeded to walk out the door.

"HEY!" called one of them, "can we get your number?"

Ginny shook her head. "NO!" she yelled at them as she disappeared out the door.

* * *

Ginny looked at all the stuff she had on the bed in her hotel room. Furrowing her brow, she thought about what to do first. Putting a finger to her lips, Ginny sighed. 

"Might as well start with my hair," she breathed, picking up the hair scissors she had purchased at Jensen's. She took off her shirt to avoid getting hair on it and placed a towel around her shoulders. Ginny took a long look at herself in the bathroom mirror and sighed.

"Goodbye," she said simply, taking a piece of red hair in her hand. Looking at its length, she turned her head, closed her eyes and snipped it off. She held the long piece of her hair and stroked it; she threw it into the sink with a sigh and took another piece. Taking chunk after chunk of hair, Ginny let it all fall into the sink while thinking of her visit with the Headmaster only months ago…

* * *

_The cold wind blew furiously over the Scottish land. The sky above was covered in clouds, giving no light to the land below. Small drops of rain began to descend from the sky, soaking the earth with its tears. The quiet night was suddenly disturbed when a loud pop was heard outside the gates of Hogwarts. _

_Ginny Weasley wiped her eyes from the blinding tears as she looked over the land before her. No one could be seen. She stood there for a moment listening to the silence of the night. The red head took out her wand and sent her Patronus to the castle. She held her breath for what felt like minutes, hoping that the right person would receive her call._

_She pulled her hood over her head, shielding her face from the cold wind. She leaned against the gates trying to steady her beating heart and heavy breathing. Being in a place she loved so much sent a chill down her spine, having spent some of the best times of her life here. Yet even those good memories couldn't keep the tears out of her eyes._

_"Stop crying!" she scolded herself but it was impossible. All she could see was Draco standing there, looking as if his world just ended. Ginny covered her face and took a few deep breaths. She looked up into the sky as the moon came into view and slowly closed her eyes. "Please," she whispered. "Please, give me strength." _

_The gates suddenly split apart leaving only enough room for one person to slip through. She looked around; making sure no one was following her, and went through the gates, jumping a little as they clicked shut behind her. Her brown eyes scanned the land before her, trying her best to see past the rain. There was nobody out there. No one had come to get her but someone had certainly opened the gates. She walked tentatively towards the imposing castle, her keen eyes looking all about her. When Ginny reached the entrance to the castle, she began to make her way up steps when a rustling noise caught her attention. Her Patronus, a large horse with a flowing mane, stood not far from her._

_Ginny looked around her once more, making sure no one was watching. She left the steps and began making her way towards the horse. As she grew closer it, began walking away and kept going. The red head could do nothing but follow, her brow furrowed as she wiped her eyes from the pelting rain. After a few moments of following the silver formation, it stopped. Once Ginny caught up with it, her Patronus faded away leaving Ginny in front of a large door. Her brown eyes focused on the door, wondering what to do now. Lifting her wand, she attempted to tap it when a soft click hit her ears and the door opened before her._

_Poking her head inside, she saw a large staircase and slowly made her way up. She reached the top step and cautiously pushed open another large door. Ginny stuck her head in and sighed, she had reached Dumbledore's office. She pulled her bag in with her and set it down. She walked a bit further into the office, looking around cautiously, to see if the Headmaster was in._

_"Hello, Ginevra Weasley." Ginny turned around quickly to see Albus sitting in his grand chair, wearing his striped blue and white nightgown and hat. She wiped away the wetness that remained on her face and smiled._

"_Hello Professor," she greeted, ascending the steps to his desk. He smiled at her softly and beckoned her to sit. She shook her head. _

_"I believe you are here for a map."_

_The young red head furrowed her brow, "a map, sir?" _

_He smiled and picked up the parchment sitting on his desk. He handed it to her and watched as her eyes scanned over it. "It is a map of all the war camps in Britain. I think the camp in Northumberland will suit you." _

_She looked at him with question. "How did you know?"_

_"I received an owl from your father." His weathered face turned serious as he watched the young girl sink further into one of his chairs. The tears once again began rolling down her face and she wiped them furiously away._

_"I'm sorry."_

"_No need to apologize, I knew this was going to happen." _

_Ginny looked up at him with sad eyes. "You did?"_

_Dumbledore nodded and stood up. He walked around his desk and moved to sit in the chair next to her._

_"Ever since your first year, I knew there was something great about you, Ginevra" She sniffed. "You had something that not even I could put a finger on. It wasn't until your love for Draco Malfoy was revealed that I finally saw it." _

_Ginny looked up at him with alarm. "What does Draco have to do with this, sir?"_

_"There will be time for questions later, Ginevra," he said with a smile. _

_She sighed and shook her head. "I..."_

_"You were meant for this War," he said softly. "You have always felt this guilt, this pain in your heart and I can see it. I see it even now." Her brown eyes questioned him. How did he know? "You think that in this war you will rid yourself of that pain, that the hole will finally be filled."_

_"Will it?" she asked looking at him in earnest. Ginny wiped a few tears away and sniffed. "Is this my time?"_

_His only response was to smile sadly. He reached over onto his desk and pulled another piece of parchment. "You know what you must do Ginevra, I don't have to tell you." He handed her the parchment. "On this is your new identity. I have given you Caché as a last name. What your first name will be I leave up to you. Whatever you put in this space will go directly to me. Hand it to the man who checks in all the new men at Camp. There I will send the rest of your information."_

_"Which is?" came Ginny looking at the paper. "Who am I going to be? What if they ask me questions?"_

_"Your name is Caché. Your father was a Wizard and your mother was a Muggle. You were born in Wales but moved to France when you were 8." He walked back to his desk and sat behind it. "Your father died in the first war. He worked for the French Wizarding Ministry. When it came time for you to attend Wizarding School, your mother refused because you were first born."_

"_You wrote to me and asked if I could send a tutor; which I did. Now that you are able to leave home, you have decided to go after the men who killed your father. Anything else you can just make up." He took a deep breath and looked at Ginny, whose eyes were wide with astonishment. "Can you do that Ginevra?"_

_"Y-yes," she said, "anything to be far from here and into that war."_

"_Good," he replied. He then stood up and faced his window. "It's time to go Ms. Weasley," he said softly. _

_Ginny furrowed her brow. "Sir?" she began._

"_If you don't want to face your parents, I suggest you use my fireplace." _

_She quickly stood up, jamming the papers into her bag. She looked at the Headmaster and smiled. "Thank you," she said softly. "Thank you so much." He nodded at her and pointed to the fireplace. _

"_There is a small Wizarding community in Fife in a town called Kincardine. Get a room and stay there. Don't spend more time there than necessary. If I know Draco Malfoy well enough, he won't stop until Molly or I order him to."_

_Ginny nodded and walked quickly over to the fireplace. Throwing the Floo Powder into the fire, she stepped in and looked at him once more. _

"_It's the Phoenix Inn, you'll be fine," he said and looked out the window once more. "Be quick Ginevra. Be safe." _

_She smiled sadly at him and said, "If you see Draco, tell him I love him." _

_The old Headmaster smiled and replied, "He already knows." _

"_PHOENIX INN!" Ginny called and was gone with a whirlwind of green._

* * *

Ginny looked at herself in the mirror of the bathroom and grimaced. Her hair was finally done, cut into a style that was most popular with boys; she had noticed it on the two at Jensen's. She turned her head from side to side making sure it was even and as nice as possible. She sighed and dusted off the towel and walked back into her room. Picking up the duct tape, she peeled off the plastic wrapping and went back into the bathroom. Ginny then took off her black lace bra and placed it on the side of her sink. 

She then stopped and looked at herself. Ginny touched her flat stomach and looked at the size of her breasts. This was the one time she was glad she wasn't as well endowed as her mother. She looked down at them and sighed.

"I won't see you for a while girls," she said and placed the sticky part of the tape on the top of her right breast. She began to wrap it around her body tightly. After she was done, Ginny picked up a white undershirt for men and put it on. She turned to the side to see if there was any hint of her ever having breasts. She looked down and patted herself.

"Merlin this is painful!" Ginny commented with a look of disgust. Taking her wand, she then put a charm to make the shirt seem bigger than it actually was, hiding the leftover miniscule bumps that she couldn't get rid of.

After Ginny had finished with that, she held her wand in her hand as she looked at her face. It was too girly. It needed some adjustments. As gently as she could, Ginny expanded the size of her nose making it flatter and wider instead of her small pointy one. She then slid the wand over her top lip making it shrink a bit. While looking at herself, Ginny managed to drop her wand on to the cold floor. She sighed, bending over to pick it up; coming back up she readjusted her underwear and found another problem. If she was to be a boy she needed to have the necessary _parts_. She bit her lip and leaned against the sink. Men didn't just expose themselves like Fred and George did they? "Yea, fat chance," she said to herself and proceeded to work on her new face.

After avoiding her problem, the young woman made her eyebrows longer and thicker. With a sigh, she put the wand down and examined her face. No longer was she elegant Ginevra Weasley with long flowing red hair and full lips, but Casey Loic Caché with short messy hair and thin lips.

Ginny finally left the bathroom and headed towards the bed, where she had the Muggle men's jeans she purchased along with all the other male clothes she acquired as she made her way to Northumberland. She put on the two-sizes-too-big pants and a belt to keep them up. She looked at herself and nodded.

"Not to bad," but she instantly stopped. Her voice with this face just did not match. Ginny cleared her throat and as low and rough as she could said: "Hey, I'm Casey!"

Ginny shook her head, thinking it was too low for her. Straightening her shoulders she tried once more. "Oi, I'm Casey, what's your name mate?" she bit her lip and furrowed her brow.

Then, thinking about Harry's voice and how it wasn't as deep as Draco's but not as high as Neville's, she tried her final voice. "My name is Casey Caché and I am a solider in the Order," she smiled brightly and nodded. "That will do indeed."

Giving a sigh, Ginny flopped onto her bed. She lay there for a long time, thinking about tomorrow and what it would bring. Turning over, she felt cool metal slide against her neck and looked down. Slowly, she pulled out her engagement ring and felt her tears start up again. Touching it softly, she thought about Draco and what he might be doing.

According to the pieces of information sent to her from Albus, Draco was heading the Hogsmeade camp with Harry. She thought of him sitting in the Three Broomsticks with some seedy, busty blond and drinking a butterbeer. The thought made her want to vomit. Ginny sighed and stuck the ring back down her shirt. Closing her eyes she began to doze off into sleep.

"Good night Draco," she said softly, and soon her world was black.

* * *

A thunderous pop sounded through all the countryside. Ginny looked around at the beautiful scenery. Rolling green hills, lush trees, and blue sky were what presented themselves. The countryside in Northumberland was truly wonderful. She looked around, thinking that there was no camp there. She began looking over her coordinates again. 

"Was this right?" she thought to herself. Then suddenly a piercing ringing was heard. Ginny looked from left to right, trying to find the source of the sound. Very slowly did she turn around and her eyes went wide.

Rows and rows of white tents stood not a mile from the hill she was on. From where she was she could see men walking around, fires going and small colors, obviously from wands. Her heart began to beat faster and faster as she thought of going in.

"This is your war too, Ginny," she told herself. "I mean…Casey." Picking up her bag, she made her way down the hill and toward Camp Firmus Adstringo.


	4. Chapter 4

_They say there are no barriers in life, only challenges…_

Ginny began to fidget with her shirt as she neared the enormous-looking camp. Her heart beat wildly and sweat began forming on her face. She took a few deep breaths and trudged through the grass. Nearing camp Firmus Adstringo, she began touching her face and chest, making sure everything was in order and hidden. Not twenty feet away, Ginny hiked her bag over her shoulder and sighed.

Many thoughts ran through her head as she neared the white tents: all her fears, hopes and dreams. Ginny could already see herself practicing with her fellow soldiers, throwing curses and running courses. Adrenaline rushed through her body at the thought of being a soldier in training once again; it was the best feeling in the world. The only one feeling better than being here was being with Draco.

"No, don't do it Gin," she scolded. She knew if she started thinking about Draco her tears would start up again and her whole facade would be ruined.

Shaking her head -missing the tendrils of red that always flew into her face- she began to gather herself together. An excited smile tugged at her lips. She was here and her dream was finally coming true. Clearing her throat, the young woman began practicing her new voice.

"Hi. My name is Casey Loic Caché." She gave an odd smile. "Hello. I'm Casey. I see you have a wand…I have one too." She took out her wand and showed it to the invisible person she was practicing to. "They are very good for killing…stuff." She frowned at herself. The young girl was so lost in thought that she didn't see the little ball of gold hovering before her.

"Oi! You there!" called a voice from above. She looked around and then up to see Seamus Finnigan hovering above her. Her mouth dropped and her brown eyes went wide.

"_What the bloody hell is he doing here!"_ her mind screeched. He just smiled slightly at her and nodded.

"Can you get me that Snitch there?" The redhead looked around confused.

"Snitch?" she inquired.

"Oh wait, it's gone." He sighed and started floating down closer when Ginny heard it; a small buzzing that wasn't too far off. She stood there for a moment trying to decide which side the tiny gold ball had disappeared to, as Seamus came closer and closer to her. Shifting her eyes to the left, she reached out an arm and snatched the little ball. Seamus stopped at looked at her curiously.

"You play Seeker?" he questioned. Ginny looked at the little fluttering ball in her hand and smiled.

"A bit." The young man then got off his broom and made his way toward her.

"It was a nice catch, but you will have to do better than that if you want to join our team." Ginny furrowed her brow.

"You have a team?"

"We made one. Took us days of bugging the Commanders, but they finally let us. Ever played a full game of Quidditch?" Ginny's first instinct was to say "Hell Yes", but she remembered she was not Ginevra Weasley, but Casey Caché, who had never played a full game.

"Oh, not really," she answered. Seamus shrugged.

"Well if you want to play, just join us. We aren't too picky." He held out his hand and Ginny placed the Snitch in his palm. He gave her a head nod and mounted his broom. The handsome Irish man waved to her as he took off. Ginny looked around and realized she had nowhere to go.

"Hey, where do I sign up?" she yelled to Seamus. He turned around on his broom and pointed to the big tent in the front.

"In there. See you later," he called and took off toward the sky.

Ginny looked at the big white tent. The young girl breathed in heavily, trying to prepare herself. After two months of waiting she was finally going to fulfill her dream and fight in the war. Taking the parchments Dumbledore had given her from her bag, she looked at them making sure her name was properly filled out. Taking another big breath, she nodded.

"Here we go," she whispered to herself and walked though the clearing.

She figured the tent was magical because it looked nothing more than a cloth tent on the outside. Inside however, was a large office. There was a large wooden desk sitting in the very middle with a few plush chairs in front of it. All around were cabinets and smaller desks with piles of parchment on them. She placed her bag down and looked around for someone. She sighed and began walking through the cabinets when a voice called to her.

"Don't go back there. You will never find your way back." Ginny froze. She knew that voice. Slowly, the she turned around and looked into the smiling face of Remus Lupin.

The redhead looked at him for a few moments._ "Merlin what is he doing here?"_ she thought. He smiled, picking up a few parchments, and made his way to the other side of the desk. He placed himself comfortably in his chair and sighed.

"Fresh meat?"

Ginny nodded without really thinking and sunk into a nearby chair. He nodded and looked at her. Ginny blinked a few times and looked around nervously and then back at him. "Do you have any orders?" he asked.

She nodded absently and thrust the pile of parchment at him. Remus sighed and began looking over them.

"Alright," he said writing her name another parchment. Remus waited for a few moments and nodded. "Well, your name isn't in any our records, but I will owl it to Dumbledore and see what he says about it. You can still stay here until then. Consider yourself signed up. Welcome to the war." He smiled slightly at Ginny and she sighed. She was officially a solider.

After a few moments where the only noise in the tent was the scratching of his quill, Remus looked up at her. He stared at Ginny for a few moments. She began to squirm.

"Do I…know you?" he asked. Ginny shook her head slowly.

"I-I don't think so," she said softly. He furrowed his brow.

"Are you related to the Weasleys?"

Her breath hitched and her heart raced. "I don't think so. Are they related to Caché? That was my father's family." She thanked the gods for letting her remember at least that with out stuttering.

"What about your mother?"

"She was a Muggle."

Remus Lupin nodded. "Never mind," he shook his head. "Forget I mentioned it." He smiled and finished filling out the various parchments. After a few minutes the elder wizard looked up and nodded.

"All we need to do now is assign you to a Commander." He pulled out another file and began flipping through it. He sighed as he dragged his quill down the many rows on the parchment. "No, that platoon is full." His hazel eyes met hers and he shrugged. "You're lucky you're not at Hogsmeade camp."

Ginny furrowed her bushy eyebrows. "Why?"

"Because it is so full they would probably send you here anyway."

"Are you a Commander here?" She prayed to Merlin that he wasn't. _Oh Merlin_, she thought to herself, _if he were a Commander here then Ron would certainly be coming too. _

"No. I run another camp," he told her with out looking up. She let out a breath she didn't realize she had been holding. "AH!" he exclaimed writing on the parchment he had been looking at. "You are in luck! You've got the last spot in Platoon Eight." Remus nodded at Ginny. He gathered some parchment and placed it in her hand. "Congratulations. You will be in Silver Fox's group."

She furrowed her brow, where had she heard the name before. "Who is the Commander?" she asked, looking down at her information.

"Commander Malfoy."

Ginny's heart nearly stopped. Tears were already stinging behind her eyes. She looked at him slowly, trying not to shake visibly.

"M-Malfoy?" she questioned in a whisper.

He nodded and after a moment shook his head. "Don't worry. It's not Lucius Malfoy. It's his son Draco." Ginny didn't know whether to cry or run out screaming. She looked up with a confused expression.

"No, it's…it's not that. I just thought he was at Hogsmeade Camp." She laughed nervously. Remus sighed.

"He was but due to personal matters, he found that being out here in the country would be better. Not so many people and other things distracting him," Remus smiled kindly. It took all of Ginny's willpower not to tremble just by hearing her love's name. The kinder wizard nodded.

"Who is heading the Hogsmeade camp?"

"Mr. Ronald Weasley and I have taken charge of that," he nodded.

"Then that means the other Commander here is…"

"Harry Potter," he told her matter-of-factly. "Commanders travel in pairs. If one wants to leave and has good reason, we usually follow. It is the only way we really make bonds."

Ginny just sat there looking at the ground. Draco was here in the same camp with her. She would be under his command all day, everyday. She would have to see his beautiful face, hear his strong voice, and not be able to get near him.

"Well, off you go," said Remus, shaking her out of her thoughts. She looked up at the kind man she always thought so fondly of and nodded.

"Thank you, sir," she said and quickly left the tent.

Ginny walked out of the office in a daze. How was she supposed to last if all she would be thinking about was Draco? She thought it was going to be hard enough just thinking about him being away but…being here…so close. The young redhead wanted so badly to turn around and run away but she couldn't. She promised herself she would do this. She had to be in this war.

Suddenly, her thoughts turned dark. Why should she have to leave? It was his fault that she left. He wanted her to choose. He made it seem like a life of death if she went into war. He had been in plenty of battles and always came back in one piece. She should tell him to go to Azkaban because he just let a woman into his Camp! She smirked to herself as she began looking around.

It was just like the Camps she had seen in a Muggle war film she had seen while out last month. There were tents everywhere and all the soldiers stood idly around. The young girl looked at each of the men she passed. There were a few she remembered from Hogwarts and some she had never seen in her life. Dumbledore said that many people from all over the world had come to Britain to join the fight and, looking at the huge diversity already seen, she found he was right. Then again, when wasn't Albus Dumbledore right?

The guys were mostly just lounging around- some were reading, some were writing letters and a few of them were wrestling. Ginny grimaced. She hoped she didn't have to do that. She kept on walking while watching men in their natural habitat, or, without the careful eye of women. She was the only girl with in miles. She hoped it would stay that way or there might be a riot. Ginny giggled to herself. How stupid did she sound?

After a while, Ginny got tired of wandering around. She had probably passed her tent a million times, but she just couldn't settle in when she was so nervous. Her Draco was here and she couldn't understand why she didn't feel it. Whenever Draco ended up in the same room with her or with in a hundred feet of her she felt him. They shared a bond that was strong. Well, that she _thought_ was strong. She didn't spend all this time wandering around camp trying to take in the scenery. She was looking for Draco.

Finally she had to stop. Her feet were getting tired and the sun was slowly starting to set. A lot of the men had begun going into their tents or sitting outside in small groups talking. She sighed and shook her head. Maybe she'd see him tomorrow. Turning around she began walking toward tent eight, which she had passed at least twenty times while on her little tour. She wondered if she should knock before she entered but thought better of it.

"If Fred and George never knock, I sure as hell won't," she said under her breath and walked in.

Entering the white tent, she had to take a step back. It was set up almost exactly like the dormitories in Hogwarts. There were two rows of six beds with crisp white sheets and a fluffy pillow. She examined all the beds, looking for one without a trunk or a bag sitting on it. Ginny was at the end of the row when she found one. She put her bag on the foot of the bed and lay down. Merlin, she was already drained.

The young redhead closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She thought about Draco. It was like a plague. Ever since she heard his name mentioned all she could think about was his face the night she left. She gave a growl and sat up. She couldn't be thinking about that now that she was in camp. Later on when she was all alone she would cry. But now, Casey had to save face.

She was rubbing her eyes furiously when her dorm-mates came in. They were all talking happily, laughing, and telling jokes. They looked at her and nodded in acknowledgment.

"Hey," said Seamus.

She nodded back. "Hey," she greeted back, giving a fake half-grin.

"You were the bloke that caught the snitch earlier, right?"

She nodded. "That's me." Ginny looked away as all the others came up behind him, looking at her curiously.

"Well, I'm Seamus Finnigan." He held a hand out and Ginny stood up. Shaking it firmly, she smiled.

"Hey, I'm… Casey Caché." The other man smiled. "It's my first day."

"Well obviously," called a guy from the back. He had long light brown hair and blue eyes with a strong American accent. "When did you get here?"

"I saw him signing up today," answered Seamus.

"Aces. I'm Mark Henderson," he greeted, giving her a heads up.

"Hey." Ginny looked at him and then to his left. Her eyes went slightly wide as she looked into the face of none other than Neville Longbottom. His black hair was the same as were his big bight eyes. He looked at Ginny curiously, titling his head and squinting at her.

"Did you go to Hogwarts?"

"No," she replied slowly.

He furrowed his brow again. "Are you sure?"

"Uh…I grew up in France, so I am pretty sure." The looks on the men's faces were of understanding. A few of them probably were thinking the same thing, since they all knew either her or her bothers.

"So, that means you've never met the Commander?" asked a voice she recognized as Fred and George's friend, Lee Jordan. She tried to hide the wonder in her eyes, and looked down shaking her head.

"No…not yet…I was looking for him. Hoping to introduce myself, but I couldn't find him." The guys all looked at each other and suddenly burst out laughing. "What?" she inquired. They couldn't stop their laughing.

"It's…" began Seamus, trying to contain himself. "You actually _want_ to meet Commander Malfoy?" Another round of laughs started again.

"So?" questioned Ginny, wondering if he spent all his time with some scrubber. They shook their heads.

"It's…just that…he is such a sod!" laughed Lee, sitting next to Seamus.

"I know! All he does is mope around and just…bitch," Mark said with a laugh. The other two, who hadn't introduced themselves, joined in on the banter.

"I bet," a guy with a heavy Italian accent added. "All 'e does is look angry an' yell at people."

"You should see him when he's drunk," Neville said. "You wouldn't want to miss that for the bloody world!"

"I don't get it…" exclaimed Ginny with a worried expression. "From what I heard, he's always been like that." Neville shook his head.

"No, that was stuck up Malfoy. This is _heartbroken_ Malfoy." There were more laughs. The young girl bit her lip, her own heart beating fast.

"What do you mean…heartbroken?" The boys looked at each and shrugged.

"He didn't go to Hogwarts, so he wouldn't know," explained Seamus, looking at his Hogwarts buddies.

Ginny leaned back onto her pillow. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"Well, let's just say…our prick of a Commander was once," Seamus sighed dreamily, "_in love._" All the boys started laughing and Ginny laughed nervously along with them.

"Si? Commander Malfoy? No, no, I dun't believe it," the Italian said, shaking his head. Neville pushed Seamus.

"Hey! Ease up on Malfoy. He's had it rough," the dark-haired boy said in defense. This was one of the few times Ginny wanted to stand up and kiss him.

"Oh, that's true…but it was the funniest story I have ever heard."

Mark raised a brow. "Tell us. I haven't heard all of it."

"Are you bonkers? What if the Commander comes in? He'd rip us a bloody new one," said Neville with worry looking around as if Draco would walk in any moment.

"He's all bullocks! Go on Neville. You know the story better than I do," replied Seamus, sitting back.

"Fine," he sighed. "If anybody finds out I was telling you naff blokes this story, I will bring you all down with me." There were a few laughs. "You've all heard of the Weasleys, right?" he said, looking at the Italian, Mark, and Casey. She nodded. "The Malfoys and the Weasleys were the worst of enemies. Ron Weasley and Draco Malfoy hated each other since the first _train ride_ to Hogwarts. Then one day, the prick of the Hogwarts halls falls in love with Harry Potter's ex-girlfriend."

"Harry Potter?" asked Mark in astonishment. "I didn't know that guy even looked at girls. I hear he's shy as hell."

"Oh he is, but he fell in love with Ron's little sister, Ginny." All of a sudden, Seamus let out a low whistle and shook his head. "Ginny Weasley," he sighed. "One of the most fit girls I have ever seen." Neville and Lee nodded. Ginny looked down in embarrassment.

"I have a picture of her. Want to see?" questioned Finnigan. Ginny smiled nervously and shrugged. Taking that as a yes, he rolled off of the other side of the bed and ran over to his own bed. After digging around in his trunk, he took out a photo and came back.

"Here," he said, handing it to Mark first. The boy's mouth fell open a little and he let out a whistle.

"Wow, if she isn't the cutest thing I've seen," he said. Ginny grimaced.

"È molto bella," said the Italian.

"Speak English, Domonic." Lee told him.

"She is very beautiful."

"You're telling me," replied Seamus, taking the picture back. "She was one of the most wanted girls in Hogwarts. But she chose guys like Potter. Well, if I were her I would choose him too!" he smiled at the guys suggestively, and they punched him in the arm.

"You would, you pouf!" joked Neville.

"She gave guys like Michael Corner, Colin Creevey, and Draco Malfoy a chance." He shook his head. "Just wasn't into the regular blokes. Well, she did date Dean Thomas, but he hardly counts. She should have dated great guys…like me!" he smiled smugly. Ginny felt like vomiting. If Seamus weren't so into himself, then she would have given him a chance.

"Anyway, on to real stories and not fantasies," joked Neville. "She fell for Malfoy after Harry disappeared," he shrugged. "They were going to get married. It was three months from the wedding date when she took off." Mark looked up.

"Took off?"

The storyteller nodded. "In the middle of the bloody night, she just up and left."

Lee nodded sadly. "I've talked to George. It's true."

"Why?"

"Well, I don't really know exactly what happened. All I know is that they got into a huge row and she just took off and Malfoy has been a bigger wanker than ever before." Neville sighed and picked up the picture from where it was sitting on the desk. He handed it to Ginny, who took it gingerly.

_Damn it, _she said to herself. She remembered giving this to Seamus because he had bugged her for it before he graduated. She only gave it to him because she thought she might be able to see him, if Harry never came back. Yet, she had fallen head over heels for Malfoy not too long after that.

"Well I have some good news and some bad news," called a voice from the doorway.

Ginny looked up to see Colin Creevey standing there, wearing his Healer robes. Ginny wanted to smile and say hello to him, but she hadn't seen him in two years. They used to be the best of friends at Hogwarts, but after an unfortunate _incident_ they hadn't talked much. He still looked almost the same: thin blond hair, pale skin, big blue eyes. However, he had gotten taller and a thicker than she remembered last. The last time she had seen him was at a party for the Ministry. They had talked and danced for a while, and then Draco had cut in. She hadn't seen him since.

"What is it?" asked Lee.

"The good news: training officially starts tomorrow; the bad news: Malfoy is on his way here, so you all better be ready."

He turned around and left the tent. The men looked at each other and quickly ran to their beds. They rapidly began to stuff clothes and belongings into their bags. Ginny still held the picture in her hand as she took her position at the foot of the bed like the rest.

"Uh... you better 'ide that," called Dom.

"Why?"

"Because Malfoy will tear you a new one if you even mention the name Ginny," whispered Seamus. Taking one last look at her old self, she pocketed the picture.

"Shhh…"

Ginny's heart began to beat fast, so fast she thought it would pop out of her chest at any time. Draco was coming. Her Draco was going to be in the same room with her. After two months of nothing but dreams and memories, his soft face was going to be before her. She took a deep breath as the tent opened.

* * *

Draco Malfoy looked at his soldiers with disgust. He hated just looking at their sodding faces; the way they looked at him with either hate or pity. They thought that he was stupid. He- Draco Malfoy- the man who tricked the entire population of Death Eaters, how could they think such foolish things? He heard them, loud and clear, talking about him behind his back; calling him cold-hearted, a prick, and a heartbroken slob. He may be heartbroken, but Draco Malfoy was no slob.

The first month after Ginny left, he didn't sleep at all. All thoughts of ever returning to the Burrow were gone. He hated being there. Instead of pitying himself he drank heavily, spending his nights at a different pub every night. Every moment of their time together was replayed over and over in his mind- her laugh, her touch, her eyes, her mouth, her hair- just everything about her. When a particularly fond memory came to his mind, he drank it away instead of letting his emotions get the better of him.

Even now, standing before these imbeciles they called _men,_ he missed her. Draco would often imagine that she was standing behind him, smiling at all her friends. Merlin, he hated how sociable she was. Malfoy shook himself out of his thoughts. He just missed her. He even missed her little annoying habits, like biting her nails, and kicking him in her sleep. Sometimes, late at night, he even missed the bruises she used to cause him.

He looked at them with a critical eye. The only reason he was in here was to look at his new recruit, Casey Caché. What normal bloke had a name like that? He passed up the other blundering idiots, who looked like statues standing there with dead faces. Ignoring them, he went straight to the small bloke at the end of the line. Draco held his head high as he looked down at him; too small, too short, too …girlish. He already had an odd feeling about this guy.

"You're Caché?" The new recruit didn't look up, only nodded. "Respond to me solider."

"Yes, sir," he said softly. Draco sneered. He didn't like the timid.

"How old are you, Caché?" he inquired.

"Twenty-one," he replied softly.

"Louder!" Draco hollered in his face.

"TWENTY-ONE!" he practically yelled. Draco sneered at him, smiling as he watched him grimace.

"Let me see your wand," ordered Malfoy. The man sighed and reached into his pocket. Caché handed him his wand, dropping something else in the process. The girlish bloke looked at him for a moment then bent down quickly to pick it up. But Draco was too fast for him and reached it first. He furrowed his brow at Caché and held the paper tauntingly before him.

"What is this?" he teased nastily. The solider made a grab for it but Draco pulled back. "Let's see what our new solider carries around with him." Cache's brown eyes went wide as Draco began opening the paper.

Draco held his breath. His mind completely melted as he looked at the red head in the picture. His jaw tightened as he looked at Ginny smiling at him. She was in her Hogwarts uniform, looking as beautiful as he remembered. He stared at the photo for along time, just taking in the woman he missed so much he almost couldn't breathe. Slowly, he looked up from the picture with icy eyes and watched as Caché looked down.

"Where did you get this?" he asked through clenched teeth. The solider didn't say anything. Draco inched closer to his face, so that they were almost touching. "I asked you a question solider." He held the picture in the soldier's face. "WHERE THE FUCK DID YOU GET THIS?!" he yelled. The solider looked up with guilty eyes. Draco almost had to step back where had he seen those eyes before?

"I-I…"

"WELL?"

The solider looked down and sighed. "I-I found it…" he stuttered, "o-on the ground when I-I was coming in."

"And you kept it?" he said, trying to hold the anger that was threatening to come out. Why did this tosser keep a picture of a girl he didn't even know?

"I-I..." he let out a shaky breath. "I thought she was pretty."

Draco Malfoy wanted to hit him in the fucking, making him bleed. He wanted to make sure that those eyes never look at his Ginny again. He held his hands at his side and growled.

"You did, huh?" He wanted to punch him, just once. Instead, he held the picture in his face. "I don't ever want you to look at this girl again. Do you understand me?" Caché nodded. "I said, DO YOU FUCKING UNDERSTAND ME?"

"Yes, Sir!" Caché yelled in reply.

Draco shook violently as he pocketed the picture. He then turned to the others.  
"Good job, keep it up." He then turned to glare once more at Caché. "I will be watching you…_Casey_." And with another glare around, he stormed out of the tent.

* * *

Ginny let out a breath as Draco stalked out. She began hyperventilating as her eyes began to sting. Draco. He was right here, in front of her, and she hadn't even had the bullocks to look at him. She thought of the way his eyes had looked at her. Draco, her soul mate, didn't even recognize her.

She sat slowly onto her bed and breathed in and out. She had to control her shaking before the others noticed. _Save face_, she ordered herself. _Be strong, you can do this._

"I think he hates you," Neville said, pulling her from her thoughts. Ginny looked into his brown eyes with a sad expression. After a few moments of silence, they all filed out and headed off to dinner. Ginny didn't bother. She lay down on her bed and finally let the tears fall.


	5. Chapter 5

_They say to do the difficult is fast, the impossible takes a little more time…_

The sun shone brightly on the Northumberland countryside. There wasn't a cloud in sight, which was odd for a November day. The wind however was cold and harsh that shook the brown leaves from the trees. The normally quite countryside was disturbed by the shouts of men.

Looking down into Camp Firmus Adstringo, rows and rows of white tents could be seen, along with men in training. Black robes and comfortable, soft pants where their attire, as a man dressed in a heavy black robe stood instructing them. This had been going on for the past two months. Men from all over Britain and then some had come to train for a war.

Looking up into the sky, Seamus Finnigan wiped the sweat from his face as he collapsed onto the ground next to his friend Mark. He lay on his back and calmed his breath as his beating heart slowed. He patted Mark as a sign of _hello_, _how ya doing_, but the American shrugged him off, not wanting to feel another person's body heat. The young Irish man sighed and began thinking about how much he hated his Commander. A few minutes later he looked up as Lee Jordan joined him on the cool grass, falling onto his back in exhaustion. Not too long afterward, Neville Longbottom collapsed with a hard breath. They all just lay on the grass, as their Commander gave them a smirk.

"Good time," Malfoy sneered. "Next time, I expect you all to come in at half that time." Everyone groaned.

After catching their breaths, the small group sat up and looked around. All their mates were doing just the same as they were, lying on the grass and groaning. Seamus rubbed the back of his head as he took off his shirt, letting the biting wind cool his body. Mark shook his head as he fanned himself.

"Don't you use any kind of deodorizing charm?" he joked, pushing him a bit. Seamus snorted.

"No. That smell attracts the ladies, don't you know?" The group rolled their eyes.

"If you haven't noticed, Finnigan, there isn't a woman with in ten clicks from here, so get over yourself and use my cologne potion every once and a while," the other boy suggested as he rolled his eyes.

"Fine, but I personally like my natural musk!"

"Well, there's one person in History," joked Lee. Seamus flexed his muscles.

"Ah, you wish you had these Jordan, you only wish!"

"What side of Malfoy's bed did you wake up on?" The group laughed whole-heartedly as the Irish man sneered.

"You're about to get punched in the face for that one!" growled Seamus. Lee rolled his eyes.

"I don't really want to kick your arse in front of every one, including the Commander," Lee stopped. "Then again, at least Malfoy will know who the woman is in your relationship!" The black haired boy stood up and knocked Lee over. The dark skinned man got to his feet and sized the other man up before some one interrupted them.

"Will you two shut up," Neville asked with a sigh. "Look," he pointed out into the field. All the men looked over and went silent.

"He's still out there?" questioned Mark, looking at him with pity.

"He was the first one in," replied Seamus. "Commander gave him eight more laps saying, and I quote; _if you're so damn fast, run another two miles!_" The men shook their heads.

"Damn it," sighed Lee, sitting back on the grass. "Why won't he just leave him alone?"

Neville shook his head, "You know Malfoy. When he hates you, it's for life."

"That's not true," replied Lee. "He hated Harry and yet you see them talking all the bloody time."

"Well, that's because they have to. I know if it were up to Malfoy, he wouldn't go near Potter." Neville looked at the man still running. "If only we hadn't given him that picture of Ginny."

* * *

_One more lap_, Ginny coaxed herself, as she began her last lap. She breathed in and out heavily; trying to pace her heart beat. Her legs and feet begged to stop; to walk and not run. But she kept going because if she walked, she would let Draco win. She had been the first one in, along with Roger Davies, who had kept up with her the entire time. Ginny had been rather proud of herself when she reached Malfoy after their two mile run. She sat on the grass and had immediately begun stretching. When a shadow had been cast over her, she looked up quickly to see Draco staring down at her. She looked away quickly, trying not to focus on his imposing figure.

"You," he had said nastily. She nodded. "You think your so damned fast?"

"No sir," she replied almost immediately. She knew that if she did that, there might be a chance that he left her alone. This time however, that was not the case.

"I think you do." He kicked her leg a bit too hard and ordered her to stand. "And since you think you're so damn fast, you ought to run another two miles with no worries." Ginny opened her mouth and furrowed her brow.

"I just ran two miles!" she said sternly. "And if I have to run, why isn't Davies running? He came at the same time I did!"

"Are you questioning me, solider?" snarled Malfoy, coming closer to her face, he stared into her eyes.

They had stayed like that for a few moments; the two old lovers just looking into each other's eyes. Ginny saw the wonderment behind his icy gray. He was wondering, again, where he had seen her eyes before. He always had that look when he stared her down.

"No," she replied sternly. He smirked.

"Then get your bony ass out of my face and run!" he barked at her, and Ginny did just that.

As Ginny ran she let out some of the stress that had built up within her these last two months. Oh Merlin how she wished she could either kick him in that bloody blond head of his or run up and snog him senseless! Yet the sad thing about it was that no matter how much she hated him at the moment, her heart cried out every time she saw his beautiful face. So, looking towards her friends who sat looking at her sadly from the cool grass, she ran faster to reach a total of five clicks for the day.

As Ginny finished her last lap she ran straight over to where the guys were already assembled, listening to Draco talk about tomorrow's lesson. He always started without her, just to confuse her. But, she had Neville to fill her in. With a last burst of speed she met up with her mates as he droned on. Draco had that famous 'Malfoy Smirk' on his face as she fell in line next to Mark.

"Thank you for joining us, Casey," he sneered. She only smiled.

"No problem whatsoever," she replied sarcastically. He glared.

"As I was saying, tomorrow we will run the obstacle course Potter and I have come up with. Also, we will start putting into practice the spells we have been studying these last two months. Oh, and thanks to Commander Potter, you get tomorrow night off, so you can go into town and do whatever it is you poufs do." Everyone laughed nervously; they couldn't tell if he was being serious or not. "Now hit the showers and get some rest." With that, the men began to get up with a groan and head to their tents.

Ginny walked quietly next to her friends, clutching her side. It had been hurting for the last few weeks, but she said nothing about it. It was just a bit of pain, she could take it. If she was going to stay top of her platoon, then little aches and blinding pains would have to wait. However, as they neared her tent, she stopped and clutched her side.

"You okay?" questioned Dominic. She nodded her head.

"Yeah, just a little side ache."

"You still have that, Case?" said Roger Davies, who had been walking behind her.

She shrugged. "It's nothing, just a bit of pain…"

"Is it from running?" asked Mark.

"No, he's had it all week," said Lee with a frown.

"Well, maybe some food and rest will get rid of that," suggested Seamus. Ginny shook her head.

"I would like to, but Commander Malfoy has me on Laundry duty tonight," she sighed. "Again."

"What?" Neville said astonished. "Casey, that's the third time this week, and the billionth time this month. I haven't seen you at lunch or dinner for weeks."

"I know, but I get food sometimes at night. The elves don't mind giving me some."

"Case, it still isn't enough food. That's what…once a day?"

Ginny snorted. "What are you, my mum?" she questioned Neville. He shook his head

"No, I am just saying…"

"It's nothing," she snapped as she stood up straight. "I am fine, really. It's nothing."

The men all looked at each other with worry.

"He works you too hard," said Mark quietly. She shook her head.

"No, I just don't work hard enough," she replied back.

"You should really tell Commander Potter. Maybe he will move you into his platoon."

"NO!" cried Ginny. "If I chicken out, then Malfoy will think I am weak and that I can't do it. I am fine. I can take what ever he throws at me."

"Not if it's making you sick," said Neville. The once-redhead sighed angrily.

"I am fine. I can do this and I don't need you guys looking after me just because Malfoy picks on me! He is just being a tosser! We all know this!" the men stayed quite and looked past her. Ginny heard some one sigh heavily and closed her eyes; Draco had been right behind her.

"Thank you for that deep insight into my personality," Malfoy said sarcastically. "And since you are such a great judge of character, you can judge Creevey since you will be helping him clean the hospital wing tomorrow night."

Her mouth opened as if to speak, but she shut it quickly. She didn't want anything else taken from her. If she just kept her mouth shut, he would walk away and she could get some rest.

"But Commander," started Neville, looking at Malfoy with scorn. "It's our first night off. Don't you think you're being a bit…"

"What I think is that it's none of your business what happens to Caché, Longbottom. Also, if you want your night off then I suggest you keep your fat mouth shut."

Neville growled menacingly, as Malfoy moved his gaze back to Ginny, whom he sneered at.

"Tomorrow night you will aid Creevey in any, and I mean _any, _way he wishes. Now get yourself cleaned up and I want you in the laundry tent in ten minutes." With that, he turned on his heel and stormed away.

The men just looked at his retreating form with disdain. Ginny held her head high and continued walking toward her tent. Her fists were clenched at her side as she stiffly walked away from her so-called friends.

"Case," began Neville.

"I don't need you to stand up for me, Longbottom," she growled, "I don't need your help… any of you. I can do this."

"He's picking on you too much. We are only trying…"

"I AM NOT A LITTLE GIRL!" she shouted with frustration. She looked at them with wide eyes when she realized what she had just said. The others looked at each other questioningly and back to her.

"Y-you know what I mean," Ginny said softly. "Thanks for your help but I can hold my own," and turning around, she stalked to her tent for a quick shower before heading to the laundry tent.

* * *

"On time," sneered Malfoy as Ginny entered the tent. "At least you have some redeeming quality."

"Malfoy," she said through gritted teeth. "Just tell me what I have to do so I don't have to see your face." Ginny looked at him menacingly and grinned. His temper was obviously getting the better of him; his nostrils flared and his eyes turned dark.

Ginny was so tired of him. Neville was partially right in saying this was the third time this week she had laundry duty. It was actually the fifth. Since Malfoy had taken to hating her, he made her do unbelievable tasks: things like washing the Quidditch equipment, helping in the kitchens, and washing the bathroom floor. The redhead was tired of her treatment and she was tired of having others trying to stand up for her. She could miss a million meals- it felt like she had already- as long as they would understand that she wasn't weak.

"I want this entire pile," he said through gritted teeth, pointing at a mountain of sheets and towels, "washed, dried, and folded by midnight."

"Fine," Ginny waved him off. "Now you are going to say _without a wand, _you tosser"

She rolled her eyes, giving him her wand. Draco snatched it out of her hand and pocketed it, giving her an icy glare. Ginny only smirked as he walked by her, running into her shoulder harshly in the process.

She looked around the tent and sighed. She walked over to the pile of white sheets and dumped a few in the tubs. Ginny sighed as she thought of what Seamus had said about Muggle "washing machines.' Apparently, they did all the washing and rinsing for you. As the redhead began to scrub the sheets, her stomach gave a loud grumble. Patting it affectionately, she shook her head.

"Not tonight, we've got work to do," Ginny told it, as if it would respond. She continued washing sheet after sheet, towel after towel. Doing so, the young woman thought of these last two months.

Ginny had remembered doing hard work in Auror Training but here it was just sickening! Everything here was ten times harder and faster than it would be at a regular camp. Commander Diggle was no piece of cake, yet he was nothing…NOTHING compared to Draco. He was such a bloody git! And, Ginny hadn't said that about him since her Hogwarts days. Unfortunately, her mates were right when they said they hadn't seen her at mealtime in weeks; it was three weeks to be exact.

Her typical day was terrible. She would get up in the morning, three hours before any of the others were due for meals, and run a mile. She didn't know why she continued; Malfoy had stopped showing up to watch her days ago. After the run, she would go and ask if any help was needed in the kitchens- which the elves usually rejected. She would then sit and eat. Afterward, she would get ready and be the first out on the field to set up for the morning activities. When the training itself would start, Ginny was always the guinea pig for Malfoy, or the one to be the example if something went wrong. Then lunch came and she would stay out and take down the morning activities and set up for the afternoon ones. At the end of the day, she would either clean the bathrooms or do laundry. Finally around midnight, Malfoy would come in and order her to go to bed, saying with a smirk:

"You should stay up and redo this entire thing! You keep giving me half-arsed jobs!"

As Ginny folded her fourth pile of towels for the night, she thought about how she had blown up at her friends. They were only trying to help but that's not what she needed. If she wanted pity and protection, she would have stayed home like all the other women. Her schedule was what she needed; she needed to be pushed to her very limit. It was the only way she would be able to look at Draco after all of this and say "I did it."

As the clock rounded on eleven thirty, Ginny felt the pain in her side begin to act up again. She dropped the blanket she had been folding and bent over in pain. Telling her mates that the side ache was just a little pain was all bullocks; it was excruciating, pulsing, and blinding pain. She had never felt like this before, and it wasn't just her side. It was her entire stomach that ached this way. No matter where she was or what she was doing the pain would appear, trying to bring her down. It had been happening for the last month, and she hadn't done a thing about it. Closing her eyes she stood up straight and coaxed herself.

"It's nothing, just a bit of pain…"

"You in pain?" inquired a voice. Ginny opened her eyes slowly to see Harry Potter standing before her. She looked down immediately when she saw he was in nothing more than a pair of boxers and a white shirt. Taking into consideration that she had seen all her mates in that, it was just… different when it came to Harry.

"N-no…" Ginny stuttered, continuing folding the sheets. He looked at her strangely.

"What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be in bed already?" he questioned, grabbing a towel and throwing it over his shoulder.

She shook her head. "I have laundry duty tonight." The young woman replied softly.

Harry nodded. "You must be Casey," he said, giving her a curious look.

"Yeah," she gave him a queer look. "How do you know…?"

"Commander Malfoy," he started, looking down. "He doesn't like to hide his…uh…" Harry began to trail off.

"Hatred," Ginny finished for him, Harry looked away. "It's alright, it's not like I don't know."

"I know, but he still…"

"Don't say it," she started, holding up her hand. "Commander, don't say that he is being too hard on me because I don't think he has been…not yet."

Harry nodded understandingly and began looking around. "I don't mean to be a wanker, but I need to bring some towels to my platoon. They are animals." The young redhead laughed a bit and handed him a full stack of freshly folded towels. Harry smirked at her and inhaled a white towel. "Smells like the Burrow," he said almost inaudibly.

Ginny looked up. "Huh?"

He looked at him and shrugged. "The Burrow…it's my uh…I guess you could say home." He looked confused for a moment. "Sometimes."

Ginny looked away quickly. That was right; it used to be Harry's home, before he decided to disappear. There was silence in the tent as the two were lost in their own thoughts. Thinking about a time when things were simpler; when Harry and Ginny had been in love.

"Who lives there?" asked Ginny softly, continuing to fold blankets.

"The Weasley's," he said simply. "I know you've heard of them," he smirked at her.

She nodded her head and shrugged. "Ginny, right?" she replied with a shrug.

He nodded again. "Yea," he stopped. "Ginny."

"I heard she was your ex," the redhead said, picking up to another load of towels to toss into the tub.

"Where did you hear that?" the raven haired man questioned,

"Around," she put simply.

"From Malfoy?"

The woman smirked. "Do you think Malfoy would talk about the weather with me? Let alone bring her up?"

"I don't know..." he started slowly. "He loves talking about things he hates…"

"I also heard you took off," she interrupted him while scrubbing angrily at the dirty towels.

"Oh…"

"Just up and left without a bloody goodbye."

"There is more…" Harry started in anger.

"Like you didn't give a shit enough about someone to at least say goodbye to them?" she snapped.

"What?" he came angrily.

She ignored him. "It's really ironic that a boy who killed the Dark Lord can't even look a seventeen-year-old girl in the eye and tell her you don't love her any more…"

"Whatever you heard, you've got the wrong idea. Whoever told you had no idea what was going on at the time!"

"Enlighten me," she snapped without really realizing what she was saying. "If you say I've got the wrong idea, why did she end up with Malfoy?"

Harry breathed in heavily, glaring at her with anger and at the same time, his own guilt. After a few moments of tense silence he patted the towels down, making sure they would stay put. He then took out his wand and with a flick all the laundry was folded and lined up in nice piles. Harry then looked at the man he knew as Casey and sighed.

"Tomorrow night, I'll buy you a pint," he offered.

"I've got duties tomorrow," she said with out looking at him.

He shrugged. "You'll get the night off." And without another word, Harry turned around and walked out of the laundry tent, leaving Ginny all alone.

* * *

"Right," said Malfoy, looking at Ginny and her mates with disgust. "This," he pointed to the huge obstacle course in front of them, "is your challenge for today. It is going to put everything you've ever learned to the test. The first part is just basic running and climbing over things. I hope it isn't too hard for your simple brains to figure out."

"That's why he didn't put up," Ginny whispered to Neville, who smirked in response.

"Have something to say, Caché?" barked Malfoy.

Ginny sighed. "Just that…" she began with attitude, before Mark elbowed her in the stomach; she glared at him and then back to Malfoy. "That I hope I can figure it out, Sir." Draco just glared before he looked at everyone else.

"After you climb the wall," he said, pointing toward the huge gated wall which looked much like the gates that surrounded many Wizarding Manors, "you will meet one of your pupils- either from your own or Commander Potters platoon- and have a Wizard's Duel. Whoever wins gets to take the whole day off. Whoever loses has to stay and help me take this down. Once you are done, then you may go out to town."

The men looked at each other nervously; it was only twelve in the afternoon and to have to wait until finishing the takedown would be torture! Merlin, how would they survive? They all looked at Ginny, who had been the one to construct the course that morning.

"Take as much time as needed. Every solider should pass this course," he sneered at them. "Go queue up at the starting line, you bloody poufs!"

The platoon looked at each other and raced towards the start line where they began warming up.

"Sucks for you, Case," said Roger Davies, stretching next to Ginny. "You have to be here anyway."

"Not really," she started with a shrug. "Commander Potter is getting me out of Hospital Duty. That's why I had to construct the course."

"Oh…" he said, looking away. After a few moments of silence, he looked back at her. "Then, you want to go for a pint? My treat…" she shook her head.

"Nah, I can't. Potter is buying me one already," Ginny sighed, "I think he wants to get me drunk and then beat me to a pulp. Mouthed off to him yesterday."

Davies nodded. "Oh."

"You and I have to duel," Ginny heard Mark say to Neville. "I want to see how good you really are. I know you are just messing around in sessions."

The younger man shrugged. "No. It's just that…I get nervous around Malfoy. He reminds me of my old potions professor, Snape." Seamus sniggered.

"Yea, he used to tease Neville something terrible," Dom chuckled.

"Neville, si? You es a large man. 'Ow could an old man like 'im scare you?"

Longbottom shook his head with vigor. "No. You didn't know me at eleven years old. I was so scared of every one."

"Yea, he is nothing like the Neville we know now, Dom," replied Lee. "He's really grown up."

"If you say so…" teased Dominic. The rest of the men chuckled and continued stretching.

"Soldiers!" called a voice. Everyone queued at the starting point and looked at Harry Potter as he commanded them. "In about two seconds I will send four blue sparks into the air. When the last spark disappears, you will start the course. Remember, don't rush yourselves. It's alright if you are last. And remember, no hurting others while you are on the course or I will make sure you don't go out tonight." Harry looked at Draco and they nodded to each other.

Ginny's heart beat with adrenaline as she watched the first spark fly into the air. Her mates looked at each other and smiled. The second one went; all the guys had their game-faces on, looking at the course with hunger. The third set Ginny's body tingling with excitement. She was going to be the first one out of the course. She would show Draco and Harry that she was the best and would remain that way. She looked up as the fourth blue spark disappeared and without a moments' hesitation, she bolted down the first mile.

The young girl couldn't help but smile as she finished her mile run. She could have actually done another two because of the extra training she had been getting from Draco every morning. Coming upon the rings, she jumped into the holes, foot going into one after the other. Furrowing her brow, she thought of how much this course reminded her of the Muggle courses in the movies. Throwing her distracted thoughts away, she fell to her stomach and began dragging herself under the thicket of bushes. Ginny heard grunting behind her and turned to see Roger Davies and Neville right behind her. They were being hit by branches and getting dirt in their mouths.

Climbing out from under the bushes, she picked a few sharp twigs and splinters from her arms and tossed them to the ground. Her feet began pounding the soft grass as she neared the platform. She jumped onto it, grabbed the robe, and swung over the deep pool of water (something she had conjured up this morning) and fell onto her knees on the other side. When she tried getting back up, Ginny felt a sharp pain shoot through her abdomen. She clutched it and doubled over in pain. Breathing in and out of her mouth, Ginny tried to steady her focus. She couldn't let them know she was in pain, she couldn't! If she did, wouldn't be able to finish the course. If she didn't finish, Ginny wouldn't be able to look at herself. When hearing Neville swear behind her, she stood up straight, and giving everything she had not to cry out in pain, began running towards the next obstacle.

The young redhead inhaled deeply as she neared the thick fog. Running at top speed, she took out her wand and ran headfirst into the darkness. The moment she was in the thicket, a blue light sped towards her. However, quick thinking let her put up a shielding charm so it bounced right off her. There was no longer flat, unobstructed countryside, but instead there were thickets of bushes and tall trees surrounding the small pathway. While running, she had to throw herself on the ground every now and then; making sure on-coming hexes wouldn't hit her. Every time her body hit the rough dirt or a tree root, her abdomen pain grew ten fold. Her breath became ragged and her mind grew hazy, but she didn't relent. After this they had to climb the gate, then the duel, and then this day would be over and she could rest.

Coming out of the thick fog, she nearly tripped over her own feet. Ginny's heart was going a mile a minute, faster than she had ever felt it before. Her whole body ached and her mind no longer wanted to focus. She shook it off, and ran for the gates. Quickly, the redhead tucked her wand into the pocket of her robe and began climbing the wall, grasping onto the gates with all her might. She placed her feet in the tiny little crevasses made by Harry early this morning. One after the other she climbed, until she reached the top, and climbed over that as well. She looked up to see Neville and Roger climbing over it as well. Her mate smiled at her and wiped the sweat off his shoulder with his sleeve.

Ginny was climbing down when her foot missed one of the little crevasses. Her knuckles went white as she grabbed onto the black bars. She looked in front of her to see Seamus and some of Harry's men come from the fog and jumping onto the gates. She blinked a few times and soon they were no more than little blobs. She blinked again and things began to grow dark. The pain was in every part of her body now. She felt nothing; not the wind on her arms, not the sweat rolling down her face. She closed her eyes and breathed in, and her eyes rolled to the back of her head and she began to sway dangerously back and forth.

"Case?" she heard faintly. "Are you alright, mate?"

Ginny opened her mouth to reply but nothing came, only a gasp for air. Whoever had been talking to her was now calling for help. What exactly was said, she didn't know. The sound of her own heart going miles a minute flooded her ears. Soon, the young solider could no longer hold on as energy quickly began leaving her body. Her mind went blank and Ginny let go of the bars as she fell towards the earth.


	6. Chapter 6

_They say only what you wish from the bottom of your heart comes true… _

Healer Colin Creevey sat staring blankly at the wall in front of him head propped against his fist as a quill dangled from his fingers. He made no movement; he was so enthralled trying to find shapes from the holes in his walls. He blinked a few times, finally letting the quill fall to his desk. With a sigh, he rubbed his face and sat up right, looking around his small hospital/office/living quarters. He leaned his head back and started looking for shapes in his ceiling.

When Colin sighed up for Healer training he thought he was in for the ride of his life. He was going to see great things, go many places, be in battles and be the Healer to heal everything that needed…well…healing. What he didn't intend to happen was that he was going to sit in a 'pine fresh' tent for ten hours a day, being bored out of his mind. In a war training camp with Commander Asshole and Commander Leave-With-Out-A-Trace sending men to him, who were obviously faking ill. When that exciting thing would happen, he would give them a pepper up potion and send them out, not wanting to see their sorry acting skills.

He sighed to himself and gave a yawn; this day could not go slower. He might as well fall asleep or leave, not that any one in this damn camp would notice. Oh, if he ever got the chance to heal his old Headmaster Albus Dumbledore…he would slip him more than Skeelo-Grow, but may be some Drought of the Living Dead. The wanker, saying he was going to be needed here. Who the hell needed him?

His blue eyes began to grow heavy and his head bobbed up and down. Slowly, Colin began to give in to the call of sleep when he heard loud voices outside. He grumbled, thinking that some blundering idiots were walking by his tent, making jokes and laughing way too loud for his liking. He leaned back into his chair and began to fall asleep once again with out much concern as to what was going on outside. Since he wasn't a solider he had to stay out of their business, or so said Commander Pillock himself, Colin only rolled his eyes and began falling asleep.

_Thump Thump Thump_

"Don't knock, just blast it," said a loud voice from outside, he ignored it.

"I don't blast things, some of us have manners…"

"What the bloody hell, how do you have manners at a time like this…"

"Shove off you sod…" the other obviously sneered,

"Merlin!" cried Colin as he stood up from his chair and jogged over to his door. He swung it open and watched as Neville Longbottom and Roger Davies carried a body into his tent. He furrowed his brow and watched them place the smaller person on to on of the hospital beds and turn to look at him.

"Sorry about the intrusion Colin, we know its nap time," said Neville without really thinking, he furrowed his brow.

"Was that a joke Longbottom?" he inquired curiously, the man only shook his head.

"No time for jokes, we have a hurt man here…"

"Well I can see that, I can also see that he is sleeping, so leave him here, he will be fine once whatever he drank wears off." Colin said with a wave of his hand. Davies shook his head.

"No, this is serous Creevey, he fell…"

"Anything broken?"

"We don't know; he fell ten feet from the air." The Healer furrowed his brow, and took out his wand.

"Tell me what happened." He instructed, instantly becoming a professional. He looked over the man they brought in for any bones protruding from his body.

"Casey was doing the obstacle course and when we got to the gate climbing, he began to rock back and forth, and then he fell." Neville told him with worry, the Healer nodded as he took his wand and began to scan the body. The Healer only scanned the soldier's toes and foot when he saw the damage.

"Well, he broke his ankle, we know that," The soldiers looked at each other and winced. Colin was getting to the pelvic area when the doors flew open and the two Commanding officers came in. Harry Potter rushed to the injured soldier's side as Draco Malfoy (Colin gritted his teeth) stood by the door.

"He all right?" inquired Harry, Colin sighed and shrugged.

"From what I see so far, he has broken his ankle, hadn't been to the rest yet." He said with a sigh getting annoyed by all the intrusions, and Neville had been right, this was his nap time.

"His stomach," interjected Roger with urgency, "h-he had been complaining about his stomach, something about pain. I saw him after he jumped across the water. He fell to his knees and couldn't get back up. Casey began clutching his side. It's been going on for weeks now."

Creevey looked curiously at Davies and nodded. He took his wand and began scanning the stomach for any problems. The other men waited impatiently –worried for their friend- as he looked over the unconscious solider. Colin actually had to furrow his brow at what he saw at first. He had looked over many men, on the inside at least, but there was something…different about this man. He furrowed his brow, wanting to get a better look, but when he saw the worried faces of Casey's friends he decided to do it later. He then began scanning the stomach and what he saw was not good… not good at all. It was easily fixable at least, for a well-trained Healer.

"Well," started Colin, pocketing his wand, "the good news is that it's easily fixable."

Harry, Roger, and Neville sighed.

"Thank Merlin for that," replied Davies with relief.

"The bad news is that this solider is malnourished and has the oddest ulcer I have ever seen." He looked at Malfoy out of the corner of his eye.

"What's a …ulcer?" asked Rogers, he sighed.

"He has a hole in his stomach, so when he sleeps, the acids in his stomach leak into other internal organs," he nodded in response.

"How did he get this?" Harry questioned with a furrowed brow. "Doesn't it have something to do with spicy foods or…something…my uncle had one."

"That is normally the case, which is why it's so weird now. Since he hasn't been getting enough food, there is nothing to fill the stomach, so there is just acid in there. Instead of digesting the food when he sleeps, it began burning a hole, therefore, giving him the ulcer, therefore spreading to other parts of his body, therefore giving him great pain, therefore causing him to pass out from said pain." He looked at them with a sympathetic expression and turned to face Malfoy, giving him an all too sweet grin.

"Are you done being a smart ass, Creevey?" Malfoy said with a glare, Colin smiled smugly at him.

"I've only just begun." He snapped back, he looked back to Potter, "I am going to guess that the Amazing Bouncing Ferret was his Commander?"

"Who else would starve their soldiers?" Harry glared at Malfoy.

"Well, at least I don't run out on them…my soldier that is." Harry's eyes went wide and his lips tight as Malfoy looked angrily back at him. The tension in the air grew so high, Neville felt as if he were going to choke. Colin cared little for what either of them had to say. He hated them both equally no matter how much he promised not to.

"Belt up!" snapped Colin irritably. The two Commanders turned their attention to him and gave him their own icy glares. He rolled his eyes with out much care, they really couldn't do much to him, and he sighed. "Listen, I am sure all of us would love to hear you two bitch about old times, but he is unconscious and I have to heal him, so if you would get out and please don't come back." He ushered all of them out of the tent; Harry turned to him and sighed.

"Creevey what ever is wrong with him…just fix it…and don't say a thing about his condition."

"You mean, don't go off and tell Dumbledore or Arthur that there is severe case or neglect and battery on this particular solider?" Harry's face went blank and Colin rolled his eyes.

"Colin…"

"Potter, I don't need the lesson on privacy rights, whatever happens in my tent stays in my tent, it is the Healer/Patient relationship kept by all professionals, such as myself." he scoffed. "Not that Arthur would do anything to a man he sees as his own son," Harry nodded, "and I didn't mean you."

There was an uneasy silence as Harry looked at him critically. Colin just stared back blankly just wanting Potter out of his face and forever out of his tent.

"I know," he put simply, and turned around practically stomped out of the Healer tent.

The Healer sighed as the door closed. He turned to face the unconscious solider and shook his head. Taking out his wand he looked over his stomach and the severity of the hole. He shrugged, it was small enough, but had been there too long. Colin walked over to his potions and began searching for his own 'Mending' potion. He had developed this potion in Healer training, it would heal all puncture wounds inside the body so open 'surgery' wouldn't have to be done.

Creevey found it quickly enough and walked over to the man. He held his head up and slowly slipped the drink down his throat. Colin was pouring the potion down his throat when something caught his eye; there was a small 'C' scar on his hairline. He finished administering the purple potion and looked at it curiously. There was only one person he knew with that cut where it was, he squinted at it and poked at it.

He dropped Casey's head when his body began to convulse, the potion was already at work. He let it go for a few moments letting it run its course through his body and begin to mend his ankle. After that had been done, he took out his wand and started looking over Caché's stomach. Seeing that the potion had done its job, and everything would be fine in the morning he stopped. Colin was now about to have an ethical struggle. He had seen... something… earlier when the others had been here. He knew the basic anatomy and internal organs of every kind of man yet there was a twist in this man. Colin sighed and took his wand, pointing it at his pelvic area.

* * *

Ginny's brown eyes slowly began to flutter open. She opened them fully before quickly shutting them again and sighing exhaustion. She looked up to the ceiling and furrowed her brow, where the hell was she? The young woman sat up in her bed and looked around the place. It looked like a hospital and then again... like the potion dungeons and then like an office. She rolled her eyes and fell back onto the bed; way too tired to care at the moment. Her eyes found their way over to the clock on the wall and sighed, it was three a.m.

Ginny didn't feel like lying in a bed that she didn't know. She slowly sat up wondering if her side was going to act up again. Interestingly enough there was no pain; she didn't feel a thing. Gingerly, the young solider touched and pressed her side and smiled; Merlin on high she was HEALED! She began to feel all over her body making sure she wasn't going to get up and fall back to the ground. The fall was a few feet into the air; she didn't want to take the chance of having something worse than she knew. After her own evaluation, she slowly got off her bed and began searching for her shoes.

After finding and putting on her boots she reached for her robe that was on the table next to her bed and put it on. She was closing up her robe when she noticed something odd…the tape…on her breast…was gone. She stood there for a few moments her breathing growing heavy. Slowly placing her hands above her chest she gently felt them and did not find the hard tape that usually protected them from view. She looked around quickly, trying to find whoever was in this room, not seeing any one she made a break for the door. Reaching the knob, her hand just around it a loud noise came from somewhere near by and Ginny found herself pressed against the door.

The young woman was pressed harshly against the door. Whoever was behind her had their wand pressed brutally against her neck where her Adam's apple should be. Their breathing was hard against her neck as the held her hands firmly behind her back. She closed her eyes and breathed in, hoping for anything but this. She moved a bit to the left and they pressed their wand tighter against her neck.

"Who the fuck are you?" were the harsh words that left the man's mouth. She tried to gulp but the wand was pressed to tightly, she let out a gasp. "I said who the fuck are you?" she shook her head.

"I…" she started, trying to get words out. "I…" he growled menacingly, and threw her from the wall to one of the beds. She missed the bed entirely and fell on her face to the ground. Ginny slowly pushed herself back up, her weakened state couldn't do it fast enough, and she felt a knee press into her back holding her to the ground.

"How did you get here?" he said sternly, "when? Tell me," he pulled on her hair and tipped her head back, getting a good look at her. She winced at the pain and the attacker sneered, throwing her face back into the ground causing her forehead and nose to hit the floor harshly. She cried out a bit as he picked her up and threw her onto the bed. Feeling dizzy she slowly turned around and saw as Colin Creevey held his wand straight at her face.

"Well?" he growled so menacingly she was literally afraid. She breathed in and out rapidly and didn't answer him. To completely blow her cover? She was already over, he would tell the Commanders as soon as he could and she would escape with in the hour fleeing Britain. If she didn't tell him however, he would beat her to a bloody pulp and then take her to the Commanders where she would sure be taken out of training and have her wand snapped in two. She closed her eyes and hoped for a miracle. Then again hoping never did Ginny Weasley any good.

"What? You can fake to be a solider of the Order but you can't tell me your fucking name?" she trembled in fear, "fine, answer me this then, slag." With his wand pointed firmly at her face he reached into his pocket hurriedly and took out a chain. He dangled it in front of her face and Ginny no longer had a voice, it was the chain with her engagement ring on it. "I know only one woman in this world with this ring." He shoved it into her face. "Now tell me: WHO ARE YOU?"

"C-Colin…" she started shakily. "It-it's me…" he snarled and threw her back onto the floor. This time, she got up much quicker and put space between herself and the enraged Colin. "It's me…please…"

"Who?" he asked as he moved slowly towards her, she began to back up. "Who are you and why shouldn't I give you a hex to last you till Azkaban?" Ginny shook her head.

"It's me…Ginny," she told him urgently, all of a sudden, and red light came flashing towards her and she dropped to the ground as it shattered a few bottles of potion behind her, causing smoke to rise in the room. With the diversion, Ginny began crawling under the beds.

"HOW DARE YOU!" Colin yelled as he pulled her from under the bed, pressing his wand tip to her forehead. "HOW DARE YOU SAY THAT? I SHOULD KILL YOU!" His face turned red and Ginny shook her head furiously.

"C-Colin it's me, you have to believe me."

"Did you kidnap her? Where is she! I swear to Merlin if you don't tell me..." he said so quietly that Ginny trembled more in fear.

"What…"

"I know," he came angrily, "you are one of their…whores aren't you?" he questioned bitterly. "They sent you here to check on me! Well, I will certainly make sure that at least one their little bints rot in Azkaban!" he yelled, she pushed him hard, causing him to stumble back a bit, putting some space in between them, Ginny put her hands out in front of her.

"I-I am Ginny Weasley, you know me…" she told him trembling. He shook his head and opened his mouth to say a curse but Ginny cut him off. "This scar," she said pointing at her forehead, to the little 'C', "w-we were outside by the lake. Fred and George scared me and I fell, scraping my head against the rocks." She shook her head. "That was the day you wanted to be a Healer." His blue eyes glared at her and still held the wand closer to her head

.  
"You could have tortured that out of her, I know what you lot would do for information!" he said warningly, she shook her head.

"Colin, please."

"Did you take her?" he said though gritted teeth. "Did you kill her…where the fuck is she?" she shook her head.

"Please, Colin it's me, who else has this scar!" she pleaded with him.

"Polyjuice," he argued back, Ginny let out a breath, trying to calm her shot nerves. Colin held his head high and gave her an evil glare.  
"You have to believe me!" cried the red head, "Please…"

"There is only one way I know it is Ginny," the Healer said though gritted teeth, she nodded.

"Anything," the young woman sighed, he only glared.

"February thirteenth, what do we call what happened that night?" He squinted at her, "Only Ginny would…"

"We call it _The Incident,_" Colin blinked a few times and pointed his wand at her once more.

"That could have been taken from her memories…"

"It was a Friday!" she started in earnest, "it was my first trip to Hogsmead after... Harry." He pressed his wand to her temple, uncontrollably shaking. "You were wearing a Pink sweater, you had to borrow mine, it was cold," she smiled warily at him, "it had a big G on it…" his hard face fell as he stared at her open mouthed.

Colin slowly began backing away form her dropping his wand with astonishment. Ginny? His Ginny…was…here? His heart began to beat wildly as she made her way towards him. She did nothing, only bent down and picked up his wand. She waved it in front of her face saying a few choice words he couldn't even comprehend and everything that was supposed to make her different melted away. Instead of bushy eye brows he saw soft thin ones, instead of a large gruff nose, a small pointed one was in its place, and instead of thin pale lips, full pink ones where there with a frown.

His breath caught as he looked at her, this was Ginny, and she was here! Finally, he couldn't take it any more, Colin let out a loud yell and took her in his arms and swung her around. He held her tightly against him, feeling the warmth that he was so used to yet yearned for it every moment of the day. He heard her laugh a bit as she buried her head in his neck. He set her gently down on the floor and looked into her face. He saw the red on her forehead and some blood tricking down her nose. Red blotches were on her neck and forehead yet she still had a smile. He took a step away from her and covered his mouth.

"Gin," he breathed softly; "I am so sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you," he began feeling her face softly, she shook her head fervently.

"It's okay Colin; I know you were just afraid." The Healer cupped her face and looked into her big brown eyes. Taking a hand away from her face, Colin gently took his wand out of her hand and said a charm that made the blood stop instantly. With the back of his hand, he wiped the blood and tears from her faces, kissing her nose softly.

"Well, you seem alright." He stopped at looked at her. After a few moments of silence, he covered his face with his hands and shook his head. "WHAT THE BLOODY HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE?" he yelled at her. "You are a WOMAN! You can get sent to AZKABAN FOR THIS, GIN!" the red head shushed him and looked around as if some one would hear at three in the morning.

"But…"

"This is a war camp Ginny! You could get in serious trouble for this you know! Go home! No excuses! Stop trying to grab my wand! I want you to go home right now!"

"You don't understand Creevey; they were trying to stop me from doing my dream!"  
Yet he didn't want to listen to her, "We have to tell some one, your mother, your father!"

"NO COLIN!" she argued, coming towards him. "If you tell then they will snap my wand!"

"It's worth it Gin!" he said softly, "I don't want to see you hurt…"

"I can take care of myself!"

"Just like you did today?" Ginny went quite, "I need to get you out of here, if I slip you out now then you can go home and tell them you needed to get away for a while."

"No Colin!" she sighed, "you will never understand what being here means to me. I need this; I won't survive unless I'm here. This has been my life…Merlin…since I could remember. You can't just ask me to…to turn my back on my dreams, how would you feel if some one had told you that you couldn't be a Healer because you had…blond hair?" He shook his head.

"Then I would have dyed my hair…" he trailed off, Ginny sighed.

"See, this is my time, Colin please, please don't tell any one," he looked at her sadly for a few moments and sighed.

Of course he knew how much she wanted this; they had been talking about it since she was twelve. Ginny was going to be the powerful Auror and he was going to be the Healer, and he would follow her wherever she went, because she needed him the most. The two had spent hours looking into the sky above Hogwarts and talking about their dreams. His had come true, and it was now time for hers to come true as well.  
"Ok," he said softly, taking her into a hug. They stood in each other's embrace for a few moments and he kissed her forehead. "But can you at least owl your Mum, she has been worried sick over it." Ginny didn't say anything, only clung to Colin tighter. She had finally found her strength.


	7. Chapter 7

_They say every cloud has a silver lining…_

"Casey, I am sorry. I am really, really sorry!" apologized Neville as he led Ginny to the Hospital tent. She shook her head as she clung to her eye, wincing at the pain.

"It's alright Nev. I know you didn't mean it mate!" She took her hand off her head to reveal the swelling over her right eye. She smiled slightly at Neville who winced at her.

"Bloody Malfoy," he grumbled. "He scared me. I didn't mean to hit you directly in the eye."

"I said don't worry about it," Ginny said as she gingerly touched her eye. "It will heal."

"Sodding git!" Ginny nodded as Neville began to call Draco names that made even her blush. After a few more comments were made, she cut him off.

"You going home for break?" she inquired.

He only shrugged. "I think so, that is if Susan will have me."

She laughed. "Is she your girl?" Even though Ginny already knew that Neville and Susan Bones had been together since graduation, it was fun to ask.

"Yea, a real looker too. But we had a row the other day," he sighed sadly.

The redhead furrowed her brow. "You see her?"

"No. She sent me a howler but you all were at dinner when I got it." He turned bright red. "It seems I got shirty with her in the last letter, and she wasn't too happy about it." Ginny laughed a bit before wincing due to her eye.

"What about you Case? You heading home?"

"Nah, me mum is going to visit my sister. So I am staying here this break."

"Ah…a whole 3 days away from Malferret!" said Neville with a smile. She only snorted as they entered the tent. Colin was already standing at the door as they entered. He gave her a knowing smile as she sat down on one of the beds.

"Creevey…" started the other man.

The Healer shook his head and sighed. "I know…he's here …again."

"Belt up, Colin," said Ginny as she lay down on the bed, trying to stop the little stars that appeared before her eyes. She closed her good eye slowly with a sigh and rested.

"What happened this time?" he inquired of Neville as he went to get the ice pack.

The other solider sighed. "It's all Malfoy's fault. We were doing some combat training. Me and Caché decided to fight against each other. So, we were doing some dodging practices when Malfoy came out of nowhere scaring the shite out of me and I hit Casey right in the eye," he shook his head in apology. "I am sorry…"

"Its fine Neville," Ginny sighed. "Besides, you gave me one hell of a right hook."

Colin snickered from the back. "That's all Longbottom. He'll be out by dinner," replied the Healer as he returned with an ice pack. He walked over to Ginny and placed it gently on her eye, winking at her quickly and turned back to Neville.

"Good, see you later Case," Neville said with a nod.

"Longbottom," said Ginny offhandedly as he walked out the door. After it was shut, she sat up and smiled at Colin who was just staring at her. "What?" she asked in her normal voice. He just furrowed his brow.

"It's so weird," he said staring at her oddly.

She tilted her head. "What's so weird?"

"You," Colin said bluntly.

She furrowed her brow. "Me?" she shook her head and sighed. "Well, I guess I am pretty weird…"

"No, it's not that." He sat next to her on the hospital bed. "What I mean is that it's you, beautiful Ginny Weasley, under that man suit."

"It's not a suit. It's really a simple spell," she shrugged her shoulders as she took off the ice pack. She got up from the bed and looked at herself at a near by mirror. She sighed and let her arms drop to the side as she stared at herself.

"I sometimes miss being Ginny Weasley," she said inaudibly, as Colin stared at her.  
"Sometimes… I really miss Draco…"

"Gin?" asked Colin, coming behind her and wrapping his arms around her. "Why don't you take that face off…just for a little while?"

She shook her head fervently. "?And risk someone like Potter coming in here? I am not risking a damn thing," she sighed. "Why should I anyway?"

"I don't know. It is so odd hearing your voice and not seeing you. I haven't seen you in a fortnight."

She sighed and ruffled her short hair a bit. "I know, but I don't want someone walking in…"

"How do you do it?" interrupted Colin, shaking his head at her.

She shrugged. "Do what?"

"IT!" he said holding her shoulders.

She sighed. "Well, when a man and a woman love each other…"

Colin pushed her lightly. "Not that!" he laughed. "I mean pretending to be Casey! How do they not…know you're a woman!"

She sighed. "It's hard," she replaced the eye pack and sighed walking towards the bed and flopped onto it. "When I first got here I was up until two in the morning every night making sure no one would see that I didn't have the…um…necessary parts." She stopped and thought. "I remember, I was trying to change my pants one day and Davies walked in. I fell to the ground and put on my pants so quickly, I almost broke my leg!"

"What did he do?"

"He looked at me and asked if he was interrupting my…alone time." She shivered with disgust. "Then he asked if he could watch," she laughed nervously. "I think he was kidding…"

Colin snorted and shook his head, "I know when I was in Hogwarts we used to see each other without clothes on all the time, by accident of course. But when it happens, they don't even suspect you…?"

"They don't," asssured Ginny. "It's hard, it really is."

"How about taking a shower?"

She smiled. "I take my alone thanks."

"No, how do you do it without any of these blokes seeing you?"

"I get up at five in the morning and take my showers so no one gets to see my private spots." The redheaded woman then crossed her arms over her chest. "Which reminds me, that night... when you found out …you had to take off the tape off me."

Colin went crimson. "Y-yea…?"

"Did you see_them_?" she questioned gesturing to her chest.

He smiled crudely. "I thought you were someone else…I had to do it! It was my duty and…"

"Pleasure," she said, slapping him upside the head. Then she laughed a bit and smiled. "I will give you this one pardon, but if I ever catch you…"

"When you are Casey, believe me…" he sneered, "thinking about snogging you is the last thing on my mind!"

She smiled. "I bet."

There was a bit of silence between the two as Ginny laid back down, putting the magical ice pack on her eye. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply. Merlin how she missed Draco at this time. She missed him everyday, but talking to Colin about things that were…sexually suggestive…made her miss him even more. Not that she and Draco had sex like rabbits, but when they did, it was always something special. She rolled her head a bit and looked out the small window. She could see Draco talking to Harry about things she didn't really care about. Ginny knew that the two were going to the Burrow for vacation and she envied them. While they got to go eat her mother's pie and sleep in warm beds, she had to stay in camp and be unhappy. She opened her eyes and looked at Colin. At least she had a friend by her side, and at the moment that was all she needed.

"Ginny?" started Colin, taking her out of her thoughts. "Have you finished that letter to your mum?" She gave him back the ice pack and shrugged. "What? I thought you started it?"

"I started it," Ginny said thoughtfully, "and finished it. But I can't Colin. I just can't send it to her."

"Gin," he said ruffling her hair tenderly. She sighed. "She is your mum. I know for a fact she misses you more than you will ever know."

"I'm sure she does," the young woman said sarcastically. "I am sure she is so worried about me!"

"Ginny, you're being unfair…"

"Unfair?" she questioned. "How am I being unfair? I've done nothing…"

"You left," he told her sternly, "and that was enough."

"Then how come I don't see this huge search party?" she snapped, pushing her friend away. "How come no one came looking for me? If you claim they miss me so bloody much, how come Draco is here and not wandering the world in search of me?" Creevey looked at her knowingly, with a raised brow. "I can't imagine them missing me. They seem to be doing fine at the moment."

"Listen to your self Gin," began the man, shaking his head. "Do you know how bloody stupid you sound? Of course they miss you! Maybe you were too busy trying to run from us, but we were ordered to stop the search." Ginny looked up with sad eyes and looked out the window once more. "Malfoy spent the first month trying to drink you away." He sighed, hating himself for telling her this. It would only make her love the man more. "And then he spent another month looking for you. He would spend days away in Merlin only knew where. It wasn't until Dumbledore and your mum found him did they make him come to the camp."

"I…" she rubbed her arms, "I didn't know."

"Of course you didn't," he said simply, "because you were the one running away from it."

Ginny sat looking out the window once more. She hated it when Colin made good points. She rolled her head back and closed her eyes. She knew he mother missed her. She felt it with every fiber of her being. Her entire family missed her and she should write. It would be only right. At least they would now she was alive. Ginny did intend on returning to the Burrow after all of this was over. She looked at Colin with a sad expression and reached into her back pocket. She pulled out some parchment and handed it to him. He smiled wearily at her.

"I will use my owl," he said simply. "It will be there by Saturday afternoon."

"Draco will be there," the redhead said with out thinking. "Maybe he will miss me too."

The man tried to hide the sneer in his face and nodded. "He already does."

* * *

Molly Weasley looked out of her kitchen widow to the rolling hills just beyond her house. The gray clouds were slowly coming towards her home, rain hidden deep with in them. There were patches of blue scattered throughout the sky, as the sun would shine a few rays on the earth. The lush grass was damp with the previous rain, as the trees blew harshly in the wind. She listened to the rustling of the trees rather than the commotion in her home. She was entranced by the sway of the branches and the swing that was attached to them. A tear dripped down her face.

The woman remembered when she would stand at this very window, with the same dishes, the same sudsy water on her hands, and watch her little princess out by the tree. She would sit there for hours playing with bugs, climbing the trees, and swinging on the lone swing. Sometimes her brothers would come and play with her. Molly would watch carefully, afraid that the boys would play too hard. Yet Ginny didn't care. When they pushed her to the ground by accident, she would jump up and begin to punch them back, and Molly would laugh.

As dusk would come, Ginny would run in the house, face flushed, hands and dress dirty, and would stand next to her mother, looking at her expectantly. That was when Molly would teach her something new. Whether it was how to bake a pie or put away the dishes properly, the small redhead loved to learn it all. At dinner, she and Ginny would set the table and place the food in front of the ravenous bunch of men. A pie was usually baked with those meals, and whenever Molly made a peach pie, she always made a small blueberry one just for Ginny, who was allergic to peach. Afterward, she and Ginny would go sit on the couches as the boys put away the dishes.

As the years waned on, Molly still watched, even as her hair grew gray and her face showed wear. Ginnywould sit under the tree and play with bugs, swing on the swing, and punch her bothers whenever they got in her way. Then Ginny would come in and help Molly cook dinner. Even when Draco had one day popped into the picture, and Ginny no longer sat by the tree alone, but with him by her side, Molly didn't care, because Ginny was still her daughter. She was still her little princess.

Molly looked away from the window as the rain began pouring down and finished with the dishes. She wiped her eyes furiously as the tears came down like the rain outside. She told her heart to stop wishing that Ginny would walk through the back door and help her with the dishes, because she was simply gone.

Molly looked to her left to see Draco staring at her. She smiled warmly at the man she had taken in as her own son. He didn't smile back, only looked blankly at her. After a few moments she realized that he wasn't looking at her, but just like she had been doing only moment ago, going over a life they wished they still had. His glass of pumpkin juice was held tightly in his hand as his icy gray eye stared at nothing. Molly turned back to her dish washing and sighed.

"How are you Draco?" she asked while looking at her family in the living room. He didn't reply right away.

"I don't know," he said simply, stepping closer to her.

She furrowed her brow. "That bad?"

Malfoy shrugged. "I don't know."

"It's ok," Molly replied simply, putting her dishes away in the cupboards. "Things always get better."

"But they also have to get worse before they do," he sighed heavily and drank from his cup, "and I don't want it to Molly. I don't."

"Sometimes it's for the best, you know this." She looked into his steely gray eyes and saw pain. She sighed at him and then back towards the window. The rain kept coming.

"I am so tired Molly," he whispered almost inaudibly. "I am so tired of missing her."

"I know," she replied, looking at him with sympathy.

He ran a hand through his blond hair. "Sometimes it seems she is so close, I can feel it! I swear I can."

"I feel the same," the red-haired woman told him. "But Draco, you have to…"

"I will not move on," he told her bitterly.

She shook her head. "I don't want you to move on," she said a bit sternly. "I want you to remember what's important now. That is training. I know you miss her, I miss her too. But we have responsibilities."

"Bullocks to that," Draco said quietly.

Molly only turned away.

"Grandma!" called a small voice from the corner.

Molly looked up as Isis Weasley padded her way into the kitchen, holding her hands up. Molly picked up Bill's girl and gave her a kiss on the cheek. The little blond leaned in and gave Molly kisses of her own and smiled.

"Isis, where is your daddy?" asked Molly as she sat down at the already set table with her. She shrugged. "Your mummy?" She pointed to the living room where Fleur was talking adamantly with the very pregnant Hermione, obviously sharing pregnancy secrets.

The grandmother smiled at the littler girl and sent her on her way back towards her mother. She felt Draco come up behind her and sigh.

"I'm sorry," he told her softly.

She shook her head and patted his hand that was on her shoulder. "It's ok Draco."

"No it's not," the blond said sadly. "Nothing is ok."

Molly sighed. "When I first married Arthur," she started, looking at her family with adoration, "we were quite wealthy." She looked up to see humor in Draco's eyes. "Yes my boy, it's true, we were." She breathed in heavily, and smiled. "But then as years passed, it started dwindling away. My mother died and my father fell ill. And for some reason, unknown to us, we fell into huge debt. I remember, just after Ron was born, I took him to my father and let him hold him. My dad told me, or more like Ron, that no matter what happens every cloud has a silver lining," Molly smiled. "Then we had Ginny."

"So what are you saying?" he asked a bit bluntly. "Where is that silver lining, Molly? You were in debt and very poor up until a few years ago…"

"But we had each other, Draco," she told him softly. "That's what mattered, that was our silver lining. We had each other, and the little girl Arthur dreamed about since the day we were married. Yes, we were very poor but knowing that we had each other was enough." She shook her head. "Knowing that you have a family that loves you now Draco, wasn't it worth waiting for?"

"Yes," he replied softly.

"See? There is a silver lining to everything. My family and the love we had was mine."

Draco sighed and looked at Molly with saddened gray eyes. "And Ginny was mine."

All of a sudden there came a strong shake and a boom. The house went quite as wands were drawn out. There was silence for a few moments and then came the sound of a pack of animals bounding down the stairs. In less than eight seconds, Harry Potter ran down the steps, soot on his face, and smiled warily. Next came Ron, who ended up right behind Harry on the steps. He waved to Hermione. Then George, who bounded down and nearly missed toppling over Ron. He bit his lip and shrugged.

"IT IS ALIVE!" cried a voice from the top of the steps. The three boys looked at each other and smiled and then back to the family. Again another man, this time Fred, came down the steps and collided with George, who took Ron down, who took Harry to the bottom of the steps. Molly ran towards them and kicked them each in the leg.

"You all better have a good excuse why you scared Hermione and Fleur to DEATH!"

Ron then shot up and ran to Hermione who was holding her stomach tightly and he kissed her on the cheek as she swatted him in the head.

"You see mum," started Fred, standing up and dusting himself off. "We have just…"

"Well…"

"Created…"

"Yes…"

"OWL!" shouted Isis pointing towards the window. They all looked to see a hazel barn owl hovering outside in the cold. Molly gave Fred a nasty look and ran to open the window, taking the note from its leg. Without a hesitation, it hooted loudly and took off at top speed into the dark sky.

"You four better thank Merlin this note came," she growled as she opened the letter addressed to her, "or else I just mi…" She stopped as she saw the curvy handwriting on the parchment. Her eyes went glassy and her mind went blank as she sat at the first chair she found. She gulped audibly and began to read aloud.

_Mum,_

_I know you all must think me the most naive and…horrible person, but I'm not. I had no choice. You raised me to be someone…anyone I wanted, and to never let anything stand in my way, even something like Tom Riddle. I would have been miserable sitting there day in and day out, waiting for something to happen. I make things happen mum, I don't wait for them. I need you to know that I am all right, and that I think about you and the family every moment of the day._

_These last five months have been the hardest and most grueling times in my life, but I have pulled through. I am making myself someone I want to be. I work hard, I do my best, even when people try to bring me down, or the overwhelming thoughts of how I left you all behind come over me. I think that this is what I was born to do. I was born to be on my own, maybe not an Auror like I wanted, but someone better. I am content with where I am, I know this is for me, and I just want you to know that I don't regret anything I have done or will do while I am on my own._

_I love you, dad, all my brothers, my sisters-in-law and the kids. Sometimes I wish that I could walk through the doors of the Burrow and be with you, but I know I can't. I am not weak, nor will I ever be. It was Harry who taught me that it doesn't matter if the world or my family abandons me, I am not weak, and I will get right back up._

_I love you all. _

_And to Draco…tell him…that no matter what he does…or how he acts…I still love him more than life itself._

_Ginny_

* * *

Ginny let her ink soaked quill fall to the desk rubbing her hand in pain. She rubbed her neck with her inky fingers and looked toward the ceiling. She sighed as she looked at the two feet of parchment and blew on it softy, making sure it wouldn't smudge when she rolled it up. Picking up her quill once more, the young woman wrote her alias in very sloppy handwriting, signaling the end of the essay. She sighed.

"Malfoy is such a tosser," she said to a busy Colin, who was brewing some potion or another. Once again her eyes were drawn to the small window that faced the rolling green hills of the Northumberland countryside. How she wished she could just go out and get lost in the sea of green, like she used to when she was young. Ginny wanted to hide in the big oak trees that were few and far between, and stay there, waiting for Draco to one day come and take her back to the Burrow.

The young woman rolled her eyes at her own girlish fantasies. She highly doubted that Draco would come for her; she knew how he liked to hold grudges. That was one thing that bothered Ginny the most, when the war was over and all was said and done, would she tell Draco that she was the very person he hated? Could she look him in the eye and see the same adoration and love after he knew that it had been her in camp, and fighting in the war? She scoffed a bit, thinking that even as Draco Malfoy had changed, he hadn't changed that much. If he still hated Harry after all these years, he would certainly hate Ginny for the deception of a lifetime.

"Draco," she whispered with out thinking. Ginny rubbed her pale face and shook her head. Merlin she couldn't miss him this much.

Her mind began to think about what he could be doing at the moment. Most likely he was at the Burrow, sitting next to her mother and talking about the weather and whatnot. Molly would give him extra servings of cherry pie. Draco loved cherries and he would eat it as if it was his last meal. They would then sit on the couch and he would gripe about anything and everything that went wrong, or was going wrong in his life. He always liked to do what with her mother. It was funny; there were times that her mother knew what was going on in their relationship even more so than Ginny did. She always shrugged it off. Draco was her mother's favorite out of all the adopted sons; it used to be Harry that was until all the… unpleasantness. Even though both of the boys were left orphaned, Molly seemed to hold Draco closer than anything else.

"Gin?" called Colin, taking her out of her thoughts, "Can you hand me those lace wings?" The young redhead sighed and walked over to the table, collecting the wings in a small pile and taking them over to Colin. She set them next to his cauldron and looked inside curiously. He brushed her away. "No peeking!" he told her teasingly. She sighed and rolled her eyes, not really caring what he was brewing. She never liked potions too much.

"I'm hungry," she said off-handedly, taking a seat behind him. He added a few lacewings and nodded.

"That's nice."

"I'm bored."

"I hear you."

"I'm randy."

"Me too."

Ginny snorted and continued to look about the office with an uninterested eye. "You need some pictures or paintings or …something in here. Too much white can blind a person."

"Yes well, our dear Malferret wouldn't let me. Apparently having a personality is out of the question with him," he scoffed. "I hate the git."

"Well, you're not the only one," Ginny said with a bored expression.

He looked at her curiously. "So... does that mean you actually hate him?"

She looked at him quickly and shook her head. "Never," the young woman said simply. "I love him too much…"

"We can stop there," Colin interrupted, looking back to his potions. Ginny didn't reply, only looked away, "Gin?"

"Hmm…"

"Why does your mum like Malfoy so much?"

Ginny furrowed her bow as she looked at him. "Huh?"

"Well, while you had…gone on your little mission, I spent some time at the Burrow."

"So?" she asked, with a nervous laugh. "Lots of people do."

"Yes, I do realize that love, but my question was: your mum spent a lot of time with him. Why?"

Ginny only shrugged. "Who knows," Colin furrowed his brow at her. "I am completely serious. It's not that my mother just decided one day to love him…"

"So…she didn't like him, even when you first started dating?"

Ginny shook her head. "When he first came to dinner, my mum wouldn't even eat with him," she chuckled. "That made for a happy Christmas!"

"Oh… so what changed?"

"The war," Ginny said simply. Colin was going to ask more when the door to the office opened. The two stood up to see who or what was coming in with a medical ailment. However, neither of them was expecting the person to walk in.

"Commander Potter," said Ginny, now in Casey mode.

He waved her off. "Wanna go for that pint?" he asked.

Ginny looked at Colin who shrugged and gave Harry a smirk.

"I guess," she replied, standing up. Harry nodded his head and turned on his heel. Ginny looked at Colin who waved to her. She grabbed her robe and left the hospital without another word.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

They say experience is the name everyone gives to his mistakes…

Ginny's leg shook nervously as she sat across from Harry. The two had ended up in the county of Somerset, where the nearest Wizarding community was. She looked around the pub at the people sitting at tables conversing between each other. Smoke billowed through the space as people came in and out of the Hawks Eye pub. She slowly picked up her beer and sipped it, trying at all cost to avoid Harry's eye. 

Her heart beat wildly as silence filled the space between them. Merlin, what did he want? She asked herself, he asked her to go this stupid pub, so he obviously had a reason. And it didn't escape the woman's knowledge that Harry was supposed to be at the Burrow. So, why in the bloody hell was he here? She kept her eyes down, looking at the tattered wooden table counting the crevices and reading the engravings. She heard Harry clear his throat and looked up.

"How have you been Casey?" he asked suddenly, sipping his beer. She furrowed her brow and sighed. 

"It's fine, I suppose. Things are better than they've been in a while." 

"You and Malfoy still…"

"Hate each other?" she finished for Harry. "Of course Commander."

"Cut that _Commander_ stuff." He snapped. "Tonight, I'm just Harry."

"Oh…" she started nervously, "If you say so…Harry…"

There was a bit of a pause. Neither knew what to say to each other. First of all, they supposedly didn't know each other too well, even though if Harry knew Ginny was hidden under that face, things would be a lot different. Secondly, trying to figure out something to say, especially about something this close had to be…well…awkward.

"How's your stomach?" Harry inquired, trying to fill the silence. "Not still bothering you?"

"Not since the day I passed out." Ginny smiled, "I'm fine now actually, Creevey has been helping me out."

"That's nice, I'm glad you're better now."

She smirked, "I'm sure you are Harry."

Ginny shifted uneasily, she didn't like just sitting here with him. She had barely begun to think of him as a friend again, let alone to sit in a Smokey pub drinking a beer, and talking about Merlin only knew what. It was obvious that Harry had something on his mind, the young woman knew all his tells. Her brown eyes looked up and for a moment they met, she looked away quickly. Just because she was sitting here, didn't mean she had to like it.

"Do you know…" started Potter nervously; "I once had a girlfriend." Ginny shifted nervously. 

"Oh?" she responded as calmly as she could. 

"Yea." He said simply, she nodded.

"Interesting, I thought you weren't into girls." She said to him sarcastically. 

"I am being serious." He replied back, Ginny smiled.

"And I find it amazing." 

"You have no idea." Harry shrugged his shoulders and ran a hand through his black unruly hair. "And the other day, when the subject of Ginny was brought up, I couldn't help but wonder why you got so defensive." Ginny looked away. "Why Case? What does she have to do with you?" 

__

Merlin Ginny, think quick, she said to herself, thinking up a good excuse, she cleared her throat and shifted in her chair a bit.

"When I was younger…" she started slowly, making it up as she went. "Something like that happened to me."

Harry raised a brow. "Really?"

"Well, I don't really know what happened between you and this Ginny girl." She said with some attitude, "but you just one day leaving made me bloody angry."

"How so?" he inquired, "what did your girl do to you?"

"She one day just decided that I wasn't good enough for her." Ginny pretended to get saddened, "so she went around with me best mate behind my back."

"Ouch." Came Harry sympathetically, the red head scoffed inside. "That has to hurt."

"It does." She said softly, "I'm still not over what she did to me." The woman looked him directly in the eye. "It still hurts to even think about her."

Harry nodded and leaned back into the seat. He rubbed the back of his head and sighed. Ginny looked to the others in the pub and bit her lip. She couldn't do this, if Harry was going to bring up the past, she didn't want to hear it. She didn't want to hear his side; she didn't want to remember anything about what had happened between them. During that time, Ginny had given her heart and soul, only to have it thrown back in her face. She just couldn't take it; she couldn't even face what happened till this day, over 4 years later.

"When I was 17." He started slowly, Ginny bit her lip. _Merlin, _she said softly, _give me strength. _"I met a girl, for the very first time. Her name was Ginny Weasley." She laughed.

"I thought she was your best mate's little sister."

"I said I met her for the first time, just because she was my best mates little sister doesn't mean I knew her at all." Ginny looked down. "I was going through a hard time at that point in my life. With Voldemort and what not." He sighed. "And when I finally met her, I found this beautiful, eccentric, sweet woman I never knew existed in all the 5 years I knew her."

"Why?" she came quietly, "why didn't you ever bother with her?"

"I don't know." he came truthfully. 

"Well there's a good reason." The red head snapped.

"It was just… I always had that "_best mates little sister_" ideal of her. I didn't see her as something more, she was just Ginny." He smiled fondly then, "and _Just Ginny_ turned into _My Ginny._ So, finally the two of us began dating. It was the end of my 6th year, and her 5th. The two of us did everything together, there wasn't a day that we weren't by each others side." Harry then stopped and looked up to the ceiling. He breathed in heavily and looked back to Ginny with a small smile. "She was absolutely perfect." 

"Oh really?" the red head scoffed, "then why again did she end up with Malfoy, if she was as perfect as you say?" 

"Did I say I was done with my story?" Ginny rolled her brown eyes.

"Then by all means continue."

He looked at Ginny with a critical eye, and looked back at the table. "We had started officially dating the summer after my 6th year. Even if we didn't have all the time together like we used to at Hogwarts, we were still very close. And to be totally honest, I fell completely in love with her. She was everything I needed; smart, witty, shameless, strong, caring, sweet, daring and not to mention beautiful. We were unofficially named The Wizarding world's next Lily and James," he looked at her in the eye, "My parents." 

"Yes, I know the story of Lily and James Potter." She said quietly, "who doesn't."

Harry smiled fondly to himself, "They told us, we were destined, that we would be together for ever…and then…the war came." Harry put his drink down and looked out to the crowd. He just stared at a few people passing by. Ginny just bit her lip and closed her eyes. She had to be ready for what he was going to tell her.

"School started up again and it was about that time I started going through with drawls." He started suddenly, still not looking at her. "I felt that no one could understand what it was like to be me. I was "Harry Potter" number one on about a thousand death lists, and the only candidate to save the Wizarding world. I was sixteen years old, and that title had been put on me since the day I entered Hogwarts." Ginny nodded. "It was about that time that Ginny thought it best to stay by my side. Yet that's not what I wanted, I wanted my space, but when she asked if I wanted to break up, I always said no."

"Oh?" came the red head, feeling anger building up inside. She remembered thinking that Harry was some how using her because he wanted her to be there just not with him. She would spend nights staying up and crying, struggling with herself whether her relationship with Harry was worth all the heartache and confusion. However, Ginny never dared leave him; that was Harry's job.

"So this went on for about a year." He sighed, and sipped his beer. Ginny stayed quiet, trying with all her might to stop the trembling in her body. She didn't want to hear the rest; she knew it all too well. She relived it most of her 7th year, the crying, the pain, and the void Harry left in her when he suddenly decided to leave her. "And one day, Albus Dumbledore tells me that Voldemort is coming, and that I need to be ready. I remember that I cried so badly, I wasn't ready to fight Voldemort, I was only 17, how could they except me to fight him. That night…" he breathed in Heavily, "that night I went to Ginny, and did the stupidest thing I could do." Ginny looked away as her heartbeat wildly, and the tears in her eyes began to swell up. "I slept with her." 

Suddenly there came a crash from some where in the pub as a small drunken bar fight began to go on and Ginny welcomed it. Harry was too busy looking at the spectacle the two men were making to see Ginny furiously wipe the tears that were rolling down her face. _Stupidest thing he had ever done_? She screamed in her mind, _he labeled what they had done together stupid? He only slept with her to forget his troubles? _The young woman quickly took her wand and with a quick spell reduced the redness in her face, just in time for Harry to look back at her.

"Where were we?" he asked, looking down at the table. "I lost my train of thought."

She breathed in heavily, "you said sleeping with your girl friend was the stupidest thing you could have done."

"Right." He said softly. 

"So…you regret it?" she snapped at him. "You wished you had never slept with her? Is that it? Because…because you know you just used her to forget your problems?" He furrowed his and shook his head.

"I regret using her, yes. I wish that I hadn't been so selfish. But as to us sleeping together, no I don't regret it. It was the most perfect night of my life and I know I sound like a bloody girl but it's true. " He shook his head again. "I told you, I was in love with her. I just wished I had stayed…" 

"What do you mean?" she inquired, hoping to find the reason as to which he left. 

"As I had said before, Dumbledore had told me that Voldemort was coming, and to get ready. So, instead of staying in the morning, I ran away." 

"Coward?" she questioned, he shrugged. 

"I guess you could say that, I actually went into training." He said, "Alastor Moody was the only person I thought could help me. After that night, I left Hogwarts and I stayed with Moody and trained for over two years." He stopped, "And during that time, I never owled Ginny…not even once." 

"And that's when she took up with Malfoy?" Ginny said softly, "she must have found some one special." 

"I remember the day I came back." Harry said with new sadness, "I remember so vividly…

**__**

.

__

Harry landed with a loud pop. The ground under his feet was soft, and the wind felt cool on his warm face. He placed his bag down softly on the green earth and looked around, a happy grin on his face. 

"The Burrow." He said softly, taking in the scenery around him. It was just like he had remembered. The big rickety house still had too many floors and looked to be held up by magic. The small tool shed on the side had the black burn mark from one of Fred and George's inventions. Chickens and garden gnomes still wandered about the house, looking for food or to cause mischief. He just stared at the house, thinking how he hadn't felt so safe in 2 years. 

He picked up his bag and slowly made his way towards the house when the front door opened. The boy…now a man stopped dead in his tracks as he saw who came out. A beautiful girl, dressed in a short summer dress stepped out onto the porch. Her red hair fell down her back as her brown eyes looked about the garden. She stepped onto the green grass barefoot and just smiled at the sun and sky. Harry's heart had beat so fast that he thought Ginny could hear it from where she was standing. Slowly he began to walk towards her.

"Ginny!" came a male voice Harry knew all too well. The woman turned around to face the door as Draco Malfoy came running out the house. The girl screamed and began to run as Malfoy came after her. After a few moments of laughter Malfoy caught up with her and picked her up around the waist and sat her in his lap. The two finished laughing and started snogging.

Harry felt as if his heart had broken in two when their lips had met. He just stared at them as the two whispered softly to each other, telling each other things Harry dreamed of telling Ginny every night. Slowly, the two stood up, hand in hand and made their way towards the small forest just beyond the house.

****

.

"I couldn't believe It.," he said to Ginny as she shook his head. "She was with Malfoy..._Malfoy!_ The very person we had hated till my 7th year, when he all of a sudden thought it was better to be on our side than with his father's kind. Even then, she hated him and I come back and find them together!" 

"What the bloody hell did you expect Potter?" the young red head snapped. "She was going to wait for you till the end of time? Even though you gave her no inclination that you ever had any intention of coming back? Ginny was just supposed to sit at home, knitting a fucking sweater, waiting for the man who ran out on her after, I-I'm guessing, her first time?" Ginny shook her head, glaring at him. "What the hell were you thinking?"

"Don't you think I ask my self that same sodding questing?" snapped Harry. "Don't you think that I felt like shit for not telling her I was coming back? Case, don't go all holy saint on me, because frankly you have no idea what the hell it was like for me."

"Well, from my own experience, I knew she wasn't too keen on you just up and leaving." Ginny told him sternly. "You must have been one selfish bint to just do that to some one." She shook her head. "And Frankly, I don't feel like talking to a bloody bastard like you."

"Sod off." Growled Harry, "I just thought I explain myself to some one, some one I thought would listen to me. Since not even my so called family or best mate even wants to know why I left."

The young soldier shook her head, "If I were them, I wouldn't listen either. This is their sister and they thought they could trust their best mate to take care of her and you just run off like a bloody bitch." Ginny then grinned nastily. "I guess she was taking after you when she decided to split as well."

Harry's lips went tight, as his face grew pale. Ginny looked away, and drank deeply from her cup, trying to drown the feeling of Harry's eyes on her. Finally, she gave in and looked at him. Seeing the deep pain and torture in his eyes, she sighed and shook her head.

"Listen, sorry I got carried away." She told him slowly. "That kind of shit just pisses me off. As I said before, I've been though the same thing." Harry only nodded. 

The two just sat there in uncomfortable silence once more. Ginny not really regretting at thing she had just said. It was true, all of it. Everything Harry had said was a fact and Ginny just couldn't understand why Harry was looking for sympathy. It was obvious he knew what he was doing when he left and thought of her often. The woman thought sadly if Harry had owled just once, she would have waited for him for eternity if need be. But since he didn't and Draco had suddenly become part of her life, things ended up the way they were. She made her life and it was with out Harry Potter.

"She sent a letter." Harry said softly, "This afternoon while I was at the Burrow, Weasley's home, when it came." He sighed and rubbed his face. "And what you just said, about her taking after me wasn't so far off. What she said was all my reasoning I thought up when I left. I left every one to make something out of myself. I left to prove to people that I could do and be anything I wanted, and I did right?" Harry asked wide eyed. "I killed Voldemort, I did what I was supposed to do. I left everything, and came back expecting things to be the same way." Ginny looked at him worriedly. She did to Draco exactly what Harry had done to her. "But they weren't and it will never be the same again."

****

.

.

An hour passed since the end of the conversation about their relationship. Harry and Ginny, or Casey, didn't talk much at all. They ordered pint after pint, thinking about things and then drowning them with liquor. Ginny was only on her 3rd beer, she wasn't much of a drinker, and Harry was on his 7th. The question of whether Harry was drunk or not was answered when the door of the pub opened. He sat up straight and laughed loudly.

"Look Case!" he said with a slur. "Look who has come to join our pity party!" He beckoned whoever came in, and smiled. 

Ginny, not drunk in the slightest, looked up to see Silver eyes staring harshly at her. She smirked at him, and finished her beer, thinking that another beer would be a bad idea if Draco were staying. She felt a bit smaller in his eyes as he glared down at her. Ginny averted her eyes back to the table as Harry began to babble.

"I thought you were staying at the fox hole!" he asked, leaning back into his seat. The other man shook his head.

"Change of plans." He said simply. 

"Couldn't stand it after the letter came either, I suppose?" the drunken man questioned, tipping back his beer. 

"What?" Draco snapped.

"What?" pouted Harry? " Did your little cold heart get broken once more?" he teased, the silver haired man growled. "What ever you do, don't tell Casey about your problems?" Harry slapped her on the back. "He is _terrible_ at the whole sympathy game."

"I wouldn't tell Casey if I was bleeding out my eyes." He snapped at her, she smiled.

"Of course you wouldn't, for I would have been the one to make them bleed." Ginny snapped at him, Draco leaned closer down to the table obviously to make a threat when he was tapped on the shoulder.

"Draco." Simpered a blonde. Draco stood up properly and looked at her. "You left me out side, it's so cold out there Draco." She said, wrapping her arms around her small body. Ginny's heart began to beat as she moved closer to Malfoy pressing her body against his. Harry was too busy looking at her bum to see Ginny's piercing glare.

"Serena." He said, pushing her slightly away, "I said I would be out in a minute."

"Oh, Draco." She whined, wrapping her arms around his neck. "I need you to keep me warm."

Ginny wanted to strangle that little slag. Heat rose to her face as her anger was rising to a new high. Draco…with…this…this…Harlot! Ginny thought back to her letter, she had told him she would always love him, no matter what he does, but if he sleeps with her...oh Merlin…there will be hell.

"Hey Malfoy." Came Harry, "trying to drown your pain."

"Shut it Potter." He snapped, girl still draped around him, "besides, you're one to talk about drowning your problems…"

"Will you wankers shut the hell up?!" Ginny said, standing up abruptly. "I can't bloody stand either of you bastards!" she yelled. "You." she pointed at Harry. "You're nothing but a pathetic ass hole, who uses people and then throws them away as if they were nothing!" Harry only laughed a drunken laugh. "And you!" she said, turning to Malfoy. "If you think you're going to forget Ginny with this scrubber you're bloody wrong. And you know why, because you know she is out there and thinking about you, probably crying her eyes out thinking how she left you. Thinking about how guilty she feels for breaking your heart, what if she comes back huh?" She said walking towards him and his whore. "What if she walked though your tent door and saw you shagging her? What would you do?" Draco only glared, as the blonde looked confused. 

"Shut the fuck up Cache!" yelled Malfoy, silencing the pub. "You have no bloody idea what would happen! It thought I said never to think about her again!"

"Yell at me Malfoy!" Screamed Ginny in his face. "Go ahead, because you know I am bloody right! And you know you're just a sad ass wanker who is no better than Potter over here! I hope you have fun shagging her!" The red faced woman said, pointing to the blonde. "Because if I ever see your Ginny, I swear on my life she will know exactly what happened!" 

"You wouldn't dare." He said, letting go of the blonde quickly. Once again, he began to stare her down, but instead of searching, it was fear and loathing in his eyes. "You wouldn't have the balls."

"Oh Malferret." Came Ginny, hating him so much than she ever knew possible. "I will, because she would have probably been faithful and at one small bump in the road, which was a letter from her, you go off and shag the first thing you see." Ginny shook her head, trying to stop the feeling of betrayal. "You disgust me." She said slowly, "and I know, that your Ginny would probably feel the same way." And before Malfoy could respond, Ginny ran out of the pub, feeling free to let her tears fall. 

****

.

.

It was hours after the happenings in the pub that we find Draco Malfoy sitting in his tent with Serena. His eyes were wide open and his mind blank as she kissed his neck. Her mouth left wet kisses along his collar bone and her hands messed up his blonde hair. Malfoy's hands stayed limply at his side; even as she moaned into his shoulder a few times. Gently, the blonde grabbed the sides of his face and her brown eyes looked directly into his.

"You ok there?" she asked, tracing his lips with her finger, he nodded.

"Fine."

"That bloke didn't get you down did he?" she whispered softly into his ear, he shook his head.

"No."

"Good." She whispered softly in his ear. "Good." And she pressed her lips to his.

Draco closed his eyes and tried to feel her kiss. He tried to block out the words of the bloody ass Cache, and focus on this girl. She would help him forget that burning hole in his heart. That pain that never went away and increased when he went to bed at night. He pretended he was at his flat in London and it was Ginny who was kissing her way down his chest. It was Ginny's hand that ran through his hair, it was Ginny who was saying his name softly. All of a sudden lips pressed against his again, and when he opened his eyes he was met with an all too familiar brown.

"Draco." Said Ginny, pushing some hair out his face. "I love you." she told him softly, her perfect lips swollen with his kisses. His heart began to beat so fast as he ran a hand down her face. She closed her eyes and just basked in his touch. When her deep brown eyes opened again Draco couldn't help himself; he grabbed her face and kissed her passionately. She moaned softly as he laid her down on his bed. He looked at her red hair spread across his pillow, her pale skin sprinkled with freckles. 

"Draco." His angel said softly. He slowly began kissing her neck, getting lost in the scent of jasmines. "I need you." she whispered. Draco was going to lose control if he didn't have Ginny. He buried his face into her neck and in haled her scent. He felt her long fingers play with the ends of his hair just like she used to. He kissed her softly and whispered into her ear.

"Ginny."

She went stiff. 

"What?" she said softly. Draco froze for a moment and slowly opened his eyes. Instead of a sea of red, he was met with blonde. He inhaled deeply and cheap perfume hit his senses instead of jasmines in summer. He slowly pulled away from the blonde, eyes wide and backed himself into a corner. Draco breathed harshly as the girl just stared at him. Her face turning into one of disgust, soon, she shook her head and began putting on her robe that was discarded on the floor. He didn't hear her words, only what Casey had said:

"If you think your going to forget Ginny with this scrubber you're bloody wrong... she would have probably been faithful and at one small bump in the road…you go off and shag the first thing you see!"

He didn't hear Serena call him the foulest things on earth or accuse him of using her, he only thought of Ginny. He looked to the ground not even daring to look at anything else. He felt so dirty, so disgusted with himself. Ginny would have been disappointed in him, she would have hit and screamed at him if she knew that he kissed another woman. As the door slammed his breath caught in his throat. Another woman. He had touched another woman, some one who completely paled in comparison to his Ginny. Some slag that couldn't even hold a candle in the rain to her. 

Draco stayed in that corner of his room for a long time, thinking about how low and weak he had become. How it was all Ginny's fault for leaving him, how it was all Potter's fault for teaching her how to leave. How he shouldn't have gone to the Burrow, he shouldn't have sat there with a family who took him in as their own. He shouldn't have been so bloody weak. How he shouldn't have talked to that bint first. How he missed Ginny so much he couldn't breathe. 

Finally, after a few moments he breathed in and out heavily as the last 5 months came crashing down on him. She wasn't here, Ginny wasn't around to hold him and tell him that it was ok. That he was better than his father, how much she loved him was. That little sentence she left at the end of her letter wasn't enough for him. He needed Ginny, he could not live with out her by his side. Draco looked around the room like an animal trapped in a cage. He looked at the dresser with his engagement ring sitting on it. He quickly ran to it, slipping it on his finger. He looked at himself in the mirror for a long time, thinking about what he had become. How weak he felt since his father tried to kill him and his mother died. How Ginny had been there, she was what held him up, what let him live and now she was gone. Now she was gone. 

He looked harshly at his dresser and with a yell he took the mirror in front of him and slammed it into the ground. It shattered into a million pieces as shards of glass flew all over the place. He felt a bit of satisfaction but Draco was no where near done. He then tipped over his dresser causing the items onto top to break and the back of his dresser to come off. He knocked over his lamps, the two other dressers, a few chairs and even his small bed. All while tear after tear fell down his face and the only word that escaped his lips was "Ginny."

After he was done and he felt that some of the anger that had been inside for so long was gone, he sighed. Wiping his eyes furiously he looked around his room at the mess he created. All but his clothes were ruined, yet it was easily fixable. He went back to the corner of the room he had been standing in early, and slid to the ground. Draco stared at his ring for a long time, feeling that even though he could never move on, Ginny would understand him. She would still kneel in front of him and kiss him as if nothing was wrong. Draco looked to where his bed used to be and saw a brown bottle lying on the ground. With a sense of loathing, he uncapped the bottle and began to drink deeply from it. 

****

.

.

Ginny sighed as she looked out into the ocean. The small waves crashed against the rocks and the wind blew harshly against her skin. It was a bad idea to come to the shore in the November with out a robe. Yet some time completely alone was what she needed, away from Colin, away from her mates, away from Harry and especially away from Draco. She was too afraid to go back to camp, to pass his room and know that some other woman was in there with him. Ginny thought her heart had broken into a million pieces when Serenity…or what ever the hell her name had been, touched Draco in the pub. Ginny sniffed a bit, and wiped the tears falling down her face.

Slowly, she got up from her place on the soft earth and closed her eyes. Draco loved her, she knew this, Draco loved her so much she could some times feel it. Just because Draco may have…Ginny shuttered. No, she couldn't look at him the same if he slept with this girl. Ginny could take a lot of things, she could take his verbal beatings, his harsh treatment, his unfairness, even his physical beatings (not that it had ever come to that) but what she couldn't take was him touching some one else like he did her. Shaking her head, she began to make the journey back to the camp, which was about 4 miles away. 

_I have to think rationally_, Ginny told her self about the 3rd mile. She had to think about her own self when Harry had left. Things had been so hard for her; Ginny would stay up nights and cry and cry, feeling as if the tears would never stop. She stopped eating, stopped doing her homework, she would only stare out the window, and waiting for an owl, or for Harry to come and take her away on his broom. Even when she had gone home to the Burrow for that summer, things didn't change much. She still didn't eat, she still didn't interact with her family who tried their best to comfort her, she only sat by the window. And it wasn't until the arrival of Draco came did she start to come out of her shell. He had been the first one to make her smile, with his little jokes about her being poor. She was sure at the time he was trying to cheer her up, when she laughed at him; he only stormed off like he was trying to be serious. 

At the time, Ginny had given herself up to Draco. She would only let him be near her, only because he hated Harry, or so she had told herself. He made it seem like Harry had never been part of her life which was what she needed more than sympathy. For the rest of the summer Draco was at the Burrow almost every day, only because he was part of the Order and he needed to be there with Ron, Charlie, and her dad to talk about War things and what not. Yet he always made it a point to either stay late or come early, just to see Ginny. For a long time, Ginny saw this only as a friendship thing, he was turning a new leaf, and he wanted to start it by befriending his enemy's old girlfriend.

****

.

When the young soldier reached the camp, it was 3 am. All she wanted to do was go to her tent and fall asleep, hoping to never wake up. The moon was full and shined brightly over the Firmus Adstringo, giving everything an eerie glow. Ginny stretched her arms over her head and yawned. This day had just been way too hectic for her. She was emotionally drained and her eyes hurt from crying so much. Rolling her head back, she made her way as quietly as she could. 

As she passed her Commanders tent, she had to stop herself from looking in. She couldn't help but want to see if Draco really had betrayed her and their relationship. She stood out side for a long time, just debating to look in the window for just a moment. She was just about ready to make up her mind when some one pushed her, causing her to trip and fall to the ground. 

Ginny groaned as she wiped the dirt from her face and turned around to see Draco standing there. She rolled her eyes.

"Bloody hell." She snapped at him. "What, now that you shagged a girl, you want to go for a boy now?" He growled at her.

"I hate you." he said slowly, "I hate you so much, there are times where I want to bloody kick the shit out of you." She rolled her eyes.

"Well, now you know what every one feels when they see you." She got up quickly as Draco moved closer to her. 

"I'm tired of your mouth Cache." He growled. " I am tired of all the you shit you cause around here…"

"Or are you tired from the shag you just had?" she snapped at him, "because that would be an entirely different tired." 

All of a sudden, Draco threw something at her, which hit Ginny directly in her head. She yelled in pain and fell to the ground. Sitting up, she placed her hand where the thing had hit her, and felt something wet. She brought her hand to her face to see blood. 

"Fucking Malfoy." Ginny groaned, "you made me bleed!" she yelled, holding her hand to her head.

"I'm glad." He growled. "I am so bloody glad." Ginny shook her head, not really hearing what he was saying, but picked up what he had thrown at her. It was a brown bottle, and had the words 

__

"Fire Whiskey." She looked at him.

"You're pissed." The red head said slowly.

Draco didn't say anything, only quickly got to her, and picked her up by her shirt collar. Ginny's heart was pounding in fear as his eyes glinted maliciously at her, his breath reeking with alcohol. She trembled violently as her love raised a fist to hit her. Closing her eyes, she prayed for a miracle.

"Mr. Malfoy." Said a voice from behind her. Ginny let out a breath and thanked Merlin for whoever had come "I would ask that you please let go of your solider." Draco glared at the soldier before dropping her harshly on the dirt. Ginny breathed in and out for a moment, before turning around to see who had stopped her murder.

"There we go, and I ask that you leave any beatings to the battle ground." came Albus Dumbledore looking at Ginny with sympathy.

****

…

a/n: ohh!!!! Thanks to all of you who have reviewed! And I hoped you all liked this chapter! I wrote it so quickly, I had this chapter in my head since I started this story! Ohh…I hope you like it! 

and…on a sad note…I got my first flame! Yes, I know! but there always must be one hater in the party! Oh well! 

Just a few notes…

****

Sazzy7: Draco and Ginny interaction? Well, you won't get that for a few more chapters! Haha! I just love to torture you all! 

****

Cosmoz: Hehe…thank you for your words! I took them to heart! Thanks for reading!

Umkay lovies…I must be off! Happy Valentines Day! I hope your day goes well!

__

Love,

YvettE _a.k.a_ Evy

****

Next Chapter:

Veritaserum Tests

Dumbledore gives a warning

Colin/Ginny 

__

and

Draco finds out….

It's going to be fun!


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

They say to err is human…

Ginny sat in one of the Hospital beds (yet again) as Colin rubbed some ointment on her wound. She winced as he pressed a little too hard on her head; he apologized quickly. The young girl looked down to the floor sadly, wiping the tears that kept falling down her face. She was surprised that after everything that had happened today, she still had tears left to cry. Ginny sighed as she felt the pain on her head go away as Colin slowly wrapped some gauze around her cut.

"You'll be ok." He said softly, as he kissed the top of her head. She nodded a bit, and laid down on the bed, trying to concentrate on breathing. 

Her heart ached as images of Draco flashed in her head. Images of him with that…bint! Images of him being drunk, her Draco never got drunk. Images of him raising a fist to her. Something he swore he would never do, then again, he didn't know that she was under the face of Casey, so Ginny was giving him this one pardon. The young soldier watched as the hour hand on Colin's clock struck 4 am. Her brown eyes began to grow heavy with fatigue. Yet she felt that sleep was finally going to take her, the hospital door opened. 

Albus Dumbledore came in, a small smile on his face as he looked at her. Ginny suddenly forgot about her tiredness and sat up in her bed. She glared at him with hate and pain as he went to talk to Colin for a moment. Colin looked at her for a moment before looking back at her old Professor. He nodded slowly and then smiled again; he patted Colin on the back, before sitting on the bed next to Ginny's.

There was a long silence as Ginny began to think of things to yell at him about. She had created a list over the last few months, and the moment of truth had arrived. She would ream out the world's greatest wizard! She was never one to give respect to authority figures that did not earn it. Ginny, getting tired of that smile opened her mouth to give him a piece of her mind.

"Before you start yelling at me." Albus started slowly, "I would just like to tell you how proud of you I am." The red head shut her mouth quickly. 

"Huh?"

"I do not think I would have lasted 5 months alone in this world, let alone you." he sighed. "I guess you did what you have set out to do, you are proving yourself, and very well may I add." 

The red head furrowed her brow. Well, he just ruined her whole speech on him ruining her life. She only sighed, and leaned back into her bed, resting her head on the wall behind her. She shook her head.

"I'm not proud." She started softly. "I am not proud at all. In fact, I feel rather crappy." He chuckled.

"Well, I expected you to feel a lot worse my dear, yet your term… _crappy_ was it, seems plausible."

"You have no idea." The soldier sighed. "I don't even know what I'm doing any more." 

"Yes you do." He said softly, "you just need to be strong."

"Do you know how long I've been telling myself to be strong?" she snapped. "Since the moment I left the Burrow, 5 long months of _being strong_, and yet I still find myself crying for no bloody reason."

"I would imagine Virginia that you, of all people, would have many things to cry about," he smiled. "I cry every once in a while myself, so in a sense, letting go of any anger or hurt by crying is a way of being strong. You haven't failed yourself yet…"

"I'm tired of being strong." She snapped. "I am tired of trying to stay face. I'm tired of lying, I'm tired of Crying, I'm tired of having no one, and most of all, I am tired of being Casey."

"I know." came Albus, "I know that you do not mean a word you have just said." She nodded.

"Oh yes I do." She told him. "At this point, I just want to go home, I just want to be with my mum and family, I want to be with Draco."

There was silence for a few moments, as Albus began to think over her rash words. He could plainly see that Virginia had some resentment toward him, then again who didn't. He watched as once again she began to wipe at her tears furiously. What the young woman didn't see that crying was her only outlet to her female side. Other wise, the façade of Casey wouldn't have lasted so long, had it not been for Virginia and her tears. 

Albus sighed a bit and shrugged. "Well, at least you're with Draco, isn't that something?" The soldier's jaw dropped as he said this. She? With Draco? 

"What?" she questioned softly. "How can you say that I'm with Draco? This…" she said, gesturing wildly about her. "Is not being with Draco! This!" she exclaimed, pointing to her head. "Is as close that I have been to Draco in a long time. He almost hit me!" she told him, tears she had fought off so hard falling down her face. "Do you know what that is like? I may have been Casey but it still doesn't change a damn thing."

"Virginia." He started softly, "I've told you before, you were meant for this…"

"I was meant for pain and suffering?"

"Do you think you are the only one suffering?" he countered, she shut her mouth. "You don't think that Mr. Malfoy suffers? Or Harry? Or you parents, or even Healer Creevey?" Ginny looked over to Colin, who was standing over a Cauldron. "Don't think Virginia that just because you cry, that no one else does. Because we all do, we are all human, we all cry."

"Does Draco cry?" she snapped, Albus only looked at her blankly. "I didn't think so. I bet…I bet he doesn't even think about me any more." The great wizard opened his mouth to say something, but Ginny cut him off. "I see him, and he looks fine, he looks as perfect as the day I met him. When he said…that if I choose war that he may as well never existed to me. Now he's off, running around with scrubbers" she shook her head. "Well, it is obvious that even though he doesn't know I chose war, he has chosen to forget me."

"Think what you will Virginia." Said Dumbledore quickly. "If you chose to believe something you know in your heart is not true, then go right ahead." She looked away. "Even though I can tell you that Mr. Malfoy has feelings, and whether you know it or not, they have only been for you."

There was a long silence after those last words left the great wizard's mouth. Ginny seethed inside, she, for once, wanted to be right. Lately, everything seemed as if it were going so slow. She had only been in camp Firmus Adstringo for only 3 months together. She spent the other two traveling all around Great Britain trying to find not only herself, but also a place she could call her own. She thought it to be this camp, that was until she found that not only Draco was here, but Harry as well. Just the thought of the two of them sharing something, just didn't sit right with her. She looked at Albus' watery blue eyes and sighed.

"I'm tired." She told him softly, he raised a brow and nodded. 

"I see."

"I mean…I just want to go to bed." He smiled and stood up, scratching his nose and pushing his glasses back up the bridge of his nose. 

"Well, I will see you later then." Dumbledore said politely, Ginny sighed.

"I suppose, when ever this war is over…"

"No, I meant I would see you later, as in tomorrow." She furrowed her brow.

"Are you staying the night?" she questioned, he smiled.

"Just a few." And with another smile, the great wizard turned around and walked out of the tent. Leaving Ginny to fall asleep in pure misery.

****

.

.

When Albus had said he would be seeing her for a few nights, he wasn't joking. It was more like all of December and January in which Ginny would see him every morning. He would sit at the commander's table, where Harry, Draco, and Colin (since he was head of the Medical department) sat. He would smile at all the soldiers and watch them when he thought they weren't looking. He even would stare at Ginny a few times, watching her with a critical eye. Ginny would just finish what ever she was doing at the moment, and then walk away quickly. Its not that she minded him looking at her, it was as Casey, she didn't like people to look to closely. Even some one who knew it was soon to be 22 year old Ginny Weasley under there.

It wasn't until the month of February that the reason for a shadowing Albus Dumbledore being in Camp was revealed. Ginny had been sitting in her tent studying for a test Commander Malfoy was giving on the history of Expelliarmus spell, when Seamus and Neville came running in. They looked around a bit and upon seeing her, raced towards her. She smiled at them as they stood in front of her catching their breaths. She only put her book away and gave them a questioning stare.

"Yes?" Ginny questioned slowly, Neville put a hand up signaling to give him time. 

"W-we f-f-oun-dd out why Du-du-mbledore is he-he…"

"Here." Finished Seamus, she shrugged.

"Its obvious he's been watching us mate, probably trying to make sure things are running smoothly." She scoffed. "Although he should have been here when Commander Wanker almost starved me to death." Seamus shook his head.

"No, it's not that." The Irish man told him. "He isn't the only Wizard going around camps, looking over us Soldiers." The red head furrowed her brow.

"What do you mean?"

"That the Minster of Magic is at Hogsmead camp, Alfalda Hopkirk…"

"Who is head of Improper Use of Magic." Finished Seamus for Neville, the other man rolled his eyes.

"He's at Derbyshire in Camp Fortitudo, Charlie Weasley went to Camp Vindex and many other heads of Departments have been showing up in all of the camps." 

"And?" Ginny said with a sigh. "They could just be looking up on things, making sure that nothing is going wrong."

"Not exactly." Finished Seamus. "What they are doing is administering Veritaserum test." Ginny's eyes went wide.

"What?" she responded astonished, they nodded. 

"I over heard Dumbledore talking to Commander Potter, apparently Minister Weasley was still a bit sore about just _any body_ going into camps, that he demanded that all soldiers and other personal take a Veritaserum and are questioned." 

"T-they can't do that." Came Ginny standing up, blood rushing out of her face. "C-can they?"

"They have and they are." Neville sighed, "I just think it is worthless."

"I hear ya mate." Replied Seamus, "I mean you have to get direct orders from either the Minister of Magic or Dumbledore for the locations of the Camps any way, so its not as if just _anyone_ could get in."

"Yea, and besides it's not like any of us have anything to hide." Finished Neville, Ginny smiled.

"Uh…yea." She shrugged. "I mean, what's the worse that could be found out about one of us." She stated uneasily, the boys smiled.

"We could find out which of us is in love with the commanders." The boys chuckled.

"If you ask me, I think its Davies." Seamus said with disgusted look. "I really think he is into blokes."

"You're not the only one." Came Neville, "he really is too pretty to be a guy." The other two soldiers looked at him queerly, "what…he is!" 

Seamus moved away from Neville before he looked back to Ginny. "What do you think about all this Case."

"I don't know," she said softly.

"Well, you should have been around for our old Minster of Magic, he was bloody bonkers, think he's living in Romania now." he shrugged. "Well, me and Neville are gonna muck about a bit." He told her standing up. "Wanna come?" she shook her head.

"No, I'm gonna finish my essay." 

"You're actually doing it?" asked Neville, " I didn't bother, beside what is Malfoy going to do, Fail me?" the two men sniggered as they made their way out side the tent. Ginny looked at them and called out.

"When is the test?" Seamus turned back to her and replied.

"First thing tomorrow." And with a wave, left the tent, and a very worried Ginny. 

****

.

"There is nothing to worry about." Came Harry, standing before the crowd of one hundred plus men. He smiled genuinely, and nodded. "It is standard, they are doing it all over Britain, not just here. Healer Creevey." Said Harry, pointing to where Colin was standing, he held up a tube of the blue liquid. "Will be administering it, each of you will take 3 droplets each, no more no less, then you will go into a tent where either I or Commander Malfoy," he gestured to a scowling Malfoy. "Will be watching while Albus Dumbledore asks the questions. Now, before we start are there any questions or concerns?" Ginny and her mates looked at each other before Mark raised his hand. "Yea Henderson?"

"Yea, just one concern." He cleared his throat. "Say we take your little test." Harry grinned sarcastically. "And then we leave the tent, still under Veritaserum, now I am going to share my most darkest and inner most secrets with Longbottom over here?" he grimaced. "I really don't fancy that idea, I see the way he looks at me." The men laughed a bit while Draco gave a disgruntled look.

"Well, we cant exactly control that now can we?" said harry, "Just keep your mouth shut, if that is at all possible Henderson." Mark smiled crudely, and then went quiet.

"Any one else?" the men looked at each other and then back to Harry. "Alright then, we are doing this by last name. My camp is going first, so Abercrombie, Euan." A rather small man with black haired stepped timidly out of the group and stood in front of harry. "C'mon, we haven't got all day." and was dragged by Harry to the commander's tent. 

****

.

It would be 3 days till Commander Potter's group was done. And with each passing day, Ginny grew more nervous. How was she supposed to pass? HOW! She was a WOMAN IN AN ALL MENS CAMP! She would watch as man after man went in, and man after man came out literally shaking with fear. Each bloke spent at least 45 minutes with Harry and Dumbledore before they were allowed to leave. Sometime Dominic or Roger would go and ask one of the guys how it was, they never said anything only shook their head and walked off to their tent. Ginny figured it had to be brutal questioning for those men to come back looking as if they had seen a Dementor. 

The eve before Silver Fox, or Commander Malfoy's group would go that Ginny was lying in her bed. The clock on the wall read 2:17 am as silence filled the tent. She lay there, staring into the ceiling, her heart raced with adrenaline as she knew it was coming, the end of Casey Cache. She was going to be found out in the morning and it would all be over. She would leave the camp, loser her wand, her friends, and most of all, lose Draco. Ginny then began to think of all different things she could do to prevent this. She could fake sick, fake her death, run away, or just accept the inevitable of being found out and not even fulfilling her dream. She turned on her side and curled into a ball. She had to be _strong, _she said angrily to her self. The woman would only last if she _stayed strong_. 

Ginny finally began to give into the call of sleep when the door to her tent opened. She figured it was Mark and Seamus, who sneaked out to Hawk's Eye pub every once in a while to pick up a girl. She heard shuffling of feet and soft breath. Closing her eyes, she hoped that they weren't to pissed to get up tomorrow. After a few moments the noise stopped and Ginny finally let her eyes shut for the night.

"Case!" some one, said, shaking her softly, she didn't respond. "C'mon my little Gin, get your fit ass up." She opened one eye to see Colin standing over her, in a white tee shirt. She sat up and rubbed her face.

"What?" she snapped, he smiled and lifted her arm, getting her out of bed.

"You have to come to hospital tent." He told her, as she followed him out side, into the cold February night. She shivered a bit, and Colin stopped and wrapped an arm around her. 

"Better?" he asked softly, she nodded.

"Much." He kissed her temple as they entered the hospital tent. He led her to his desk and sat her down as he gave her a blanket. The red head sat there for a few moments as Colin began to collect things around his tent. After a few minutes she looked at Colin expectantly. 

"Colin?" she asked after a few moments, 

"Huh?" he responded looking at her. 

"What am I doing here?" she asked as if it was obvious, he smiled.

"Just a minute Gin."

"Colin…"

"Just a minute." And after a few moments, Albus Dumbledore came out of the back. Ginny sat up straight and looked at him oddly.

"What is this?" she asked as a rather cheery Albus sat in front of her, nightcap and robes on. He smiled as he sighed.

"Well Virginia, as you know tomorrow your group will go in for testing."

"Yes I know...but I figured…" the young woman started.

"That I am going to help you."

"Huh?" Ginny furrowed her brow.

"Well, I as well as Colin over here, know for a fact that you are not working for Voldemort or any other Dark wizard." He sighed. "If it were up to me no one would have to be taking this test, but since it isn't, and I cant make any exceptions, you will have to take this test."

"I just figured…I would…run." She told him sadly. "I can't be found out, if am, there is more at stake than just my wand." Albus nodded.

"I know, if Mr. Malfoy finds that you have been here, I don't know what he will do" he shook his head. "I really don't."

"So, what are you suggesting?"

"That we fix this." he told her, beckoning Colin, who brought two little bottles with him. "This," he started, taking one of the little bottles from her friend. "Is the potion every one else will be taking, this, " Dumbledore took the other one. "Is yours. It is the same bright blue as the others, as all the same ingredients, but one thing is different." He smiled. "And I will let Healer Creevey explain it.

Colin smiled brightly at Ginny. "It is just like Veritaserum, just a bit fixed. I made it so when there is a certain pitch to Albus' voice, it will trigger the actual Veritaserum." Ginny shook her head.

"How the bloody hell does _that_ work." The young soldier looked at the two queerly. "It makes no sense what so ever."

"It wouldn't to the uneducated eye." He told her jokingly. "But it is more that just potion, it is charmed…" Ginny opened her mouth. "Don't argue with me, just trust me on this Ginny, I am here to help you pass this, so just know it will work." Ginny gave a huge sigh and nodded.

"Ok Colin, ok Albus, but are we sure this will work."

"Yes." They said in unison.

"Virginia, I want you to succeed in this." Albus started. "If I didn't I would have let your parents come and get you 7 months ago, but I haven't, and I wont. So, just be sure to do what ever Creevey says, just trust us on this."

Ginny looked into his watery blue eyes for a few moments, before slowly nodding, feeling defeated for a bit. She felt as if this was going to be bad, very bad, and there wasn't a thing she could do to prevent it from happening. Dumbledore then smiled at her, patting her shoulder and walked out of the tent. She sat there for a few moments with Colin just staring at her. He then went over to her and took her hand, kneeling in front of her.

"You ok?"

"Yes." She said softly. He nodded. 

"You want to stay here tonight?" she looked up at him and their eyes met. She scrunched up her nose.

"You want to sleep with a man?" Ginny joked, he didn't laugh however. 

"I've worked passed that." He said softly. "I don't see Casey, I see Ginny." Colin lifted a hand to bush her face, she pulled a way a bit.

"Colin." She said softly. He met her eyes, and Ginny almost had to remind herself to breathe. 

The emotion in them sent her heart into a frenzy she hadn't felt since the last time she was with Draco. _Draco._ Ginny quickly looked away and got up. He stood up after her and ran a hand through his dirty blonde hair.

"Gin…"

"Don't apologize." She said quickly.

"I wasn't going to." She looked at him and shook her head.

"I'm tired." 

"Ok."

"I will see you in the morning." Colin walked slowly over to her and kissed her temple once more.

"Night." The soldier smiled slightly, and quickly walked out of the hospital tent and into her own. To bury herself under her covers and dream about Draco. 

****

.

Ginny paced in front of the commander's tent. It was her turn next and she was dead scared. She had thought she was going the day before, but they had completely skipped over her and went straight to Davies. Yet, here she was now, obviously Dumbledore couldn't put her test off any longer. Ginny bit her lip and closed her eyes. _Strength, where the bloody hell is that strength I need so much._ She opened her brown eyes to see Malcolm Rambaldi walk out of the tent, paler than before he went in. She ran a hand though her ever-growing red hair and smiled. _I can do this._

"Cache, Casey." Called Colin, as serious as he could. She nodded at him and entered the tent, her lips in a solid line. 

He nodded to her and looked over at Draco, who was standing over Colin like a hawk. The look he gave her obviously meant that Draco wanted to make sure no one would go in with out Veritaserum. Colin picked up the vile and sucked some of it into an eyedropper. He then went around the table and looked at Ginny.

"Open up." He said sternly, she sighed, tilting her head back; she felt two droplets of water on her tongue. She swallowed it-as if there was something to swallow- and shrugged. Colin then gave her a very small smile and walked behind his counter of potions once more. Then Commander Malfoy came around, grabbed her by her upper arm and dragged her behind the curtain.

When Malfoy eased up his grip on her arm, she snatched it away from him and rubbed it. She glared maliciously at him while he just ignored her leading her down the hall Ginny had no idea that was there. After a short walk, they stood in front of a door, with the word "Obrussa" written on it. He opened the door and went on in, Ginny following nervously on his heels. 

The room the soldier had walked into was very small. The walls were void of any picture or distraction. There was no window or any kind of ventilation. She looked at the table and saw Albus Dumbledore, sitting down, leaning over some parchment. His quill was scribbling away as he pushed his glasses back up the bridge of his nose. She looked at him and then up to Draco, who was giving her a very ugly glare indeed. She smiled sarcastically at him, and when he opened his mouth to bite back Albus cleared his throat.

"Lets leave the verbal beatings till after the test, hmm?" Draco sneered as Ginny rolled her eyes. 

"Now that we are all behaving like adults, let's start with the test. Mr. Cache, please sit." Albus looked up at Ginny and nodded. She gave a shaky sigh and sat in front of her old Headmaster.

"I am just going to ask you a few simple questions." He said, he cleared his throat and looked through his half moon glasses to his parchment. "What is your full name?"

What Ginny was supposed to feel when under Veritaserum, which was a sense of foreboding and the need to spit did not come. She felt just the same as she did before she entered the tent. Furrowing her brow, she cleared her throat.

"Casey Loic Cache." The red head answered, almost not believing it herself, he smiled and nodded. 

"Very good." He scribbled down something. "Now, how old are you?"

"21 years old."

"Your birthday?"

"March 16th"

"Are you a male or a female."

Ginny heard Draco cough from behind Albus, but ignored him. "Male." 

Albus finished scribbling Merlin only knew what on the table before he looked at Ginny. He gave her an odd look, and nodded. Clearing his throat, he asked. 

"Are you a Soldier in Camp Firmus Adstringo?" 

The sensation Ginny was looking for started up. She felt the need to spit something out of her mouth, and soon. She swallowed a few times, trying to make sure that this feeling really wasn't because she had to vomit. Looking up at Albus she coughed.

"Yes." Ginny said shakily. He nodded.

"How long have you been here?"

"5 months."

"What group are you in?" 

"Silver Fox."

"And who signed you in when you first came to this camp."

"Remus J. Lupin."

The elder wizard nodded solemnly, and then looked at Ginny in a most serious way. His lips formed a thin line and his eyes grew dull. Placing both his hands together on the desk, he asked.

"Have you ever met a Death eater." Inside, Ginny wanted to scream no, but the Veritaserum was too strong for her. 

"Yes."

"When?"

"When I was 11."

"Are you in leagues with the Death eaters?"

She breathed in and out. "No."

"Have you ever been in leagues with the Death eaters?"

"No."

Albus then stopped and began scribbling once again. Ginny closed her eyes and breathed in heavily. She then looked up to meet Draco's eye. He gave her a silent snarl and she stuck her tongue out at him, which both thought was extremely odd.

"Have you ever met Lucious Malfoy?"

Like a snake in the grass something bit Ginny. She didn't know what it was; something was going on inside her that wanted to say more than just a yes or no. She bit her lip so hard she tasted copper, her mind was screaming to keep her lips shut, but something too great was taking hold.

"Yes, and I know his wanker son very well." Ginny's eyes went wide and slapped a hand over her mouth. Malfoy's eyes went wide and he looked at Dumbledore, who looked as if something was about to go terribly wrong.

"Do you work for any people on the Dark side?"

"No, unless you count doing 600 sit ups for this slag." She bit her lip and made a grimace at the words that were flowing out of her mouth. Albus then stood up and picked his papers up. 

"Well, that seems good enough, Casey, your free to go. Run along now…"

"No!" came Draco as Ginny stood up, the young girl turned to him and growled.

While shaking her head Ginny said, "Let me go you bloody cheating bastard!" 

"What?" he came in astonishment, she covered her face and made a break for the door.

"Mr. Malfoy please let Mr. Cache go!" ordered Albus, but that hate that had been building up in side Draco since the night at the pub was ready to let loose.

"Would you really tell Ginny about that night?" he asked menacingly, Ginny let go of her mouth 

"No you bloody idiot! Considering I…?" Ginny then cursed.

"What?" asked Draco. "C'mon Cache, say what you want to say! Go ahead!"

"Draco Malfoy!" said Dumbledore, pushing him away from Ginny. "Let this alone."

There was silence for a few moments. Draco's gray eyes went wide and his line went into a firm line. Ginny wanted to break out of there, to run for the door and not look back. 

"Mr. Malfoy." Came Dumbledore slowly. "I think it's time we let Casey go, we have all we need."

"But you haven't asked all the questions." He growled in response, he nodded.

"We have enough, just let him go, there is no need for him." he told him. "Go." the Great wizard barked at her.

Draco nodded and let Ginny pass. Ginny then clamped her mouth shut, covering it with her hands and ran quickly by Draco. She ran so fast she was afraid her legs would collapse under her. She stopped at the end of the hall and caught her breath. That had been close, a bit too close. She almost let Draco know that she already knew! That would have mean that she was Ginny and all hell would have broken lose. She rubbed her face and wondered what had gone wrong. She began to tell everything she felt with those questions, not just the straight answer. 

She looked outside to check if the cost was clear so she could run over to the Hospital tent. When she was sure it was, she opened the door to make a run for it when a hand grabbed her shoulder. She was harshly pushed against the wall her head hitting against it. She grimaced as Malfoy glared at her, sneer on his face. Ginny tried to push past him but the larger man didn't budge. Finally, she leaned back onto the wall and looked down.

"Get away from me you wanker." She growled, since that was the only thing she was feeling at the moment. Her love shook his head slowly.

"No."

"I bloody swear, if you hit me again I am going to report you!" 

"Shut the fuck up Cache." He told her. "You think any of the leaders are going to care? You think they give a damn about you? Does any one give a damn about you?"

"YES!" she yelled in his face. "Whether you like it or not Draco, people care about me! I know for a face that you do!" Ginny looked down quickly. A thousand curses were going through her head as Malfoy stared at her. How could she cover this up when Veritaserum was still coursing though her body. She made a break for the opening again, but still Malfoy didn't move. 

"What do you really think of me Cache?" he asked suddenly, voice hard, with a hint of testing in it. As if daring her to say something bad about him. "C'mon, tell me how you feel you pouf!" 

__

I love you, I love you, and I love you. Where the only words that wanted to leave her mouth. Her mind raced with things, moves, anything to get him out of the way so she could hide the rest of the day, hopefully her life. He asked her how she felt about him. Well, Casey may hate him but Ginny Weasley was desperately in love with him. Finally, after too long of a silence, Malfoy grabbed her jaw tight with in his grasp and made her look at him.

"How many times do we have to go over this!" he shouted. "When I ask you a question, soldier, you bloody answer me!" 

"MR. MALFOY!" came a booming voice from down the hallway. "Let go of your Soldier! This is the second time I've caught you hurting this person! Let them alone!" Dumbledore then quickly began making his way toward the two. 

"This is a personal matter between me and Casey, Dumbledore." Growled Malfoy, not even looking at him.

"Do you really want to do this Draco?" he questioned, the blonde only nodded. "Fine, go ahead! I won't stop you!" Draco looked at Albus. "But if you do, I swear on Merlin's grave you will regret." He sneered.

"Will I?"

Albus simply said, "Yes." Malfoy rolled his eyes and let go of Ginny's jaw. When he did, the first thing to pop out of her mouth was

"I love you." the blonde's had snapped to face her, as the young woman went red. There was a long uncomfortable silence before Ginny bolted out of the door. 

****

.

.

It was little over 1 am when Colin was finally able to go to bed. He walked into his Hospital tent, and began discarding his robes. He tossed them all over the place as he made his way to his bedchamber at the back of the hospital. The young man sometimes wished he able to sleep with the rest of his mates (or more like Ginny) but the commanders for some reason didn't like that idea. Colin thought it for the best, ever since Ginny had come; he has felt nothing but conflicted. 

The young healer sighed as he looked at the time and realized that he had spent a better part of 5 days doing nothing but putting little drops of blue water into men's mouths. He shrugged, every one had to pay their dues, but he had figured he had paid his enough with the work Minster Weasley puts him through. He shook his head, no time for thinking, only sleeping, he told himself. He walked into his bedroom and began taking off his muggle watch.

His room wasn't much to look at. There was a small personal bathroom, with a shower/tub, sink, and toilet; the stand bathroom. The room itself wasn't much either. It had a queen-sized bed, with a small window, and two dresser drawers. Next to his bed was a small lamp and a few pictures of his family and friends, and on his bed was Ginny Weasley.

Colin did a double take. Ginny was lying on his bed, looking at him blankly. He furrowed his brow and quickly kneeled in front of her. Gently, Colin ran a hand though her hair and felt her face, just to see if she was sick. Her beautiful brown eyes blinked at him a few times before she began to sit up. The red head didn't say much, only rubbed her face and leaned onto the headboard of the bed. She shrugged.

"I needed someplace where I felt safe." The young woman said. "This was the first place I thought of." He nodded and sat next to her in bed.

"What's wrong?" he asked after a few moments, she closed her eyes and shook her head.

"I did something stupid." The woman chortled. "Or maybe you did."

"What happened?" he asked her, taking her hand, she sighed.

"The Veritaserum you developed worked."

"Well, that doesn't sound stupid." He told her with airs; she looked at him pointedly.

"Will you let me finish?"

"By all means."

"As I was saying, I was able to lie about my name and gender. Yet, something about the way Dumbledore talked to me changed and the next set of questions felt more like I was under Veritaserum." Her brown eyes met his. "But something went wrong. I began to tell more than needed, like my emotions than just facts. Then Draco…" she trailed off. "He began to ask me questions…" a pained expression crossed her face. "And I basically told him who I was."

"What?" questioned Colin, looking as if he had just heard her death sentence. She nodded slowly. 

"Almost."

"What do you mean _almost_?" he inquired, 

"I told him…that…" she let a tear fall. "That I loved him." Ginny then let out a sob that broke Colin's heart. She leaned her head onto his shoulder and let tear after tear fall on him. He didn't know whether to be angry or sympathetic. What did it mean now that Draco knows she loved him? It was not _Ginny_ who told Commander Ass Hole that she loved him, it was _Casey _who told him. So the worst that could happen was that Malfoy was going to be very upset in the morning. 

"You didn't tell him you were Ginny did you?" he asked her softly, she shook her head.

"No." she told him, muffled by his shoulder.

"Then there is nothing to worry about."

"He is going to get suspicious."

"Yea, about you being gay." He tried to joke, she only cried a bit harder. "Listen, it doesn't matter that you told him you loved him. He won't take it seriously and besides he can't tell its you by you just saying you love him."

She sniffed. "You think?"

"Of course I do. He isn't looking for you in Casey, Gin." He started, pulling her away from him. "He only sees Casey. You've done such a good job in being him, he wont even think of looking for Ginny." 

"But…" Colin put a finger to her lips.

"It's ok." He told her softly. "He will never know." Her brown eyes slowly went up to meet his and in that instant, Colin was done for.

Her now shaggy hair got in her face, covering her eyes a bit. Her brown eyes were red with crying, but he saw something spark in them when their eyes locked. Colin gently placed a hand on her face and began wiping away a tear. She moved away a little yet it didn't fade him one bit. Colin then stood up and went to his dresser; he grabbed his wand and walked back over to a curious looking Ginny. Whispering a few words he ran his wand over her eyebrows, when they were to their normal size, he kissed them softly. Then her nose, which made a major difference to her appearance. By now, the young girl was looking down hands clasped together. Then he resized her lips, which were now swollen from her days crying. He put his wand on his night table and tried to catch her eye. When Ginny didn't look up, Colin took a finger and lifted her head towards him.

Her brown eyes met his blue and Colin almost dropped his jaw in awe. This was the Ginny he remembered. The moonlight that came though his one and only window hit Ginny in such a way that gave her a beautiful glow about her. The healer's heart raced with the love he had been hiding for so long now. His perfect girl was sitting in front of him, and he was almost too afraid to make a move, for it might be his last. A long time passed where the two were only staring intently at each other, both apprehensive as to what would happen next. Finally his wish came true when Ginny leaned forward, placing her lips gently on his. 

The young woman didn't know what she was doing. In truth, something inside her was telling her to stop. Yet the huge void inside, her heart was telling her that this was ok. That for once, she should let what happens happen. That she was tired of waiting for something that was never going to happen, and take what was being offered. Colin loved her, she knew this, and she's known it since she was 17 years old. Yet she had always ignored it, thought that by being his friend he would soon forget about his feelings but it never came to that. He had always helped her with Harry and with Draco, and he never asked for anything in return. Something inside Ginny was trying to justify what she was about to do that she owed Colin this one.

The two began their kiss slowly, and then, like any forbidden moments, it began to grow passionate, almost burning. After urgent kisses and apprehensive hands, Colin began to slowly lay Ginny down on his bed. Finally, with a lot of courage, Ginny slipped her hands under Colin's shirt and slowly slid it over his head. Ginny took a few moments to look at him; it wasn't his strong chest or even great stomach that caught the woman's attention, but the scars that marred his pale skin. She touched the scars gingerly, only guessing where marks like these came from, she looked at him questioningly and his response to was to kiss her firmly. Soon, the scars that never left Colin where forgotten, as their kisses began to grow urgent. 

When Colin was tired of feeling her shirt underneath his exposed chest, he removed her shirt, red faced, to be faced with silver duct tape. Ginny looked to the window in embarrassment, while Colin only smiled. The healer reached over to his drawer and pulled out a one of his healer scalpel. 

"Can I?" he asked her softly, the first words spoken since the first kiss. She nodded slowly at him and he placed a reassuring kiss on her forehead. Slowly, Colin began to cut the tape that hid the wonderful woman that was Ginny, from the world. When he reached the end he sat her up and carefully pulled it off, as to not hurt her delicate body. Colin laughed a bit at her expense, for the tape left some sticky residue on her back, and she hit him for it. After the tape was discarded on the floor Colin laid her back down and stared at her in awe. Perfect. That was the only word that ran through his mind. The young man had dreamed of this moment for so long, when he would finally be able to have Ginny. He figured it was by the grace of some God that he was here now, looking at Ginny, and she looking at him in such a way that made him feel alive. 

After a few moments of him just staring at her, Ginny began to grow self conscious, she turned her head with down cast eyes. Colin only smiled and kissed her neck that she left exposed. Slowly, the blonde began to kiss his way down the valley of her breast. She moaned softly and Colin whispered to her.

"I love you." Ginny didn't respond. Only arched her back as he kissed a particular spot. If it were any other moment, Colin would have questioned her, yet when her hands began to touch a delicate area, all thoughts were gone. All he knew was that Ginny was here, and that's all he really needed. 

"Love me." She finally said as she bit his ear. "Please."

After that, nothing was held back. The two felt this immense heat rise over them as things began to happen. Clothes were discarded with out care, sounds where made as if they were the only two on earth. Ginny felt release as she gave all she had into him. Colin felt his heart and soul being poured into a woman he had wanted for so long. It didn't matter that she loved another man, or that things may never be the same between the two. All they knew is that for this one moment, in a time of war and pain, that this is what they needed most. Each other.

****

…

A/n: Ok loves! This was an 11-page chapter! So, I so dearly hoped you enjoyed it! Hehehe…I am sorry if you seriously disagree with the Colin/Ginny. I thought it added an interesting twist! Just wait…oh…you will see!

Anyway, I just want to say THANK YOU and that I LOVE YOU to…

****

Red. KTBallerina. Shayomac. Arielle. DnG4ever. Siriusforeva. Magen-Malfoy. The Totally Sarcastic Sprite. Lint. Jessie. Mimi. NNC. Kris-tina4. Missers. Chocolate Chip. Lazy Me. Angel_Light. Purus.Flere. Great. Smalfoy. Annelee. Fitzi. Cappuccino. PurplePlushiePillow. Terriah. Sazzy7. Monique. Yodarox. Calla-Foreva. MoonDevil99. Whitewolf628. JackSparrow. DragonsMistress. Nichole Malfoy. Bobbynotme. TrippyGirl20051. Hplova4eva. Amanda Mancini. Wizzabee. Ayumi-dono. Karlin88. Vipera. Icylullaby. Caramelissa. 

You are all so wonderful! Thank you soo much for supporting me and my little story! Hehe! Ok loves, I'm going to run off now! I'm sorry for the wait! 

Special love goes out to my beta **MISSY**! I LOVE YOU HONEY CAKES!!

__

Love,

Yvette _aka_ Evy

****

Next Chapter:  
Explanation of _"The Incident"  
_Draco's Pain  
Rings Revealed  
_And  
_The start of a War…

__

It's going to be fun!


	10. Chapter 10

__

Chapter 10

They say there is only one kind of love, but thousands of imitations…

Brown eyes slowly fluttered open. The vague image of a night table was before her as she rubbed her eyes. Closing them once more, she thought about the struggling task of breathing. _In and out, in and out,_ she coaxed herself, as the person behind her brushed his back against hers. Ginny closed her eyes and sighed. She had figured that if she didn't turn around and acknowledge that some one was indeed lying in bed with her, naked, it wouldn't be true. Unfortunately, the fates did not work that way. 

Turning on her side, Ginny stared at her best fried of almost 6 years. He looked so grown up compared to the mousy boy when they had first met. She didn't know whether to smile or cry at this new, rather alarming, development. Yet Ginny pushed those thoughts away as she watched his chest slowly move up and down. The red head closed her eyes once more and breathed in heavily. She was _so_ stupid. 

Looking at Colin once more she thought about the pain she was going to put him through. He had told her he loved her, but Ginny did not, and would not, love him for all the money in Gringotts; and he knew it. The soldier just let her eyes rest on his pale, innocent face. Things were going to be extremely different in the morning. Ginny cursed under her breath as she thought of the morning, and the time. Looking over her shoulder, she looked at the clock that read 4:01 am. The red head looked at Colin once more before getting out of bed. 

She shivered involuntarily as the cold night air hit her now exposed body. She slowly began searching for her clothes. As the woman searched all over his small quarter, Ginny thought about how she and Colin had gotten this far. How his love for her turned Ginny over into the arms of her love, Draco Malfoy.

****

.

.

7th year  
Valentine's eve

__

Ginny looked out the window of the horse-less carriages. The trees and grass that went by were all too familiar. A small gray rock was still leaning against a large boulder, as a lone bush swayed with the wind. The girl tried not to cry. Instead, she took in a huge breath and sighed.

"Has it already been a year?" she asked herself. Had it only been 5 hours and 360 days since she last held the one she loved? Was it only 52 weeks ago that he was telling her he loved her during her first encounter with a man? As she looked into the gray sky above, she knew her answer. Yes. 

It was at this very moment, Ginny wished she could see her good friend, Draco. If he were here, she would squeeze his hand, and that would be his cue to start talking ill about Harry. He would say something that would either make her angry ("He never really loved you, or any one, Virginia") or something that would make her smile ("I was never sure if he actually was a man. Honestly, who wore their hair like that!"_) He had given her strength since he showed up at the Burrow. He was always good for a laugh or talk. Yet now that she was back at Hogwarts, it was nearly impossible to have him come. She sighed._

The red head was shaken out of her thoughts as the carriage finally came to a stop. She shifted her eyes to the opening door and peeked out. This had been her first Hogsmead trip since Harry, and she wasn't exactly sure if she was ready to be there. Yet, when a hand presented itself and Ginny looked into the bright eyes of Colin Creevey, she knew it would be ok. 

Taking his hand, he began to lead her through the small town, filled with her peers. She smiled at a few and ignored others as the two began walking around. To tell the truth, Ginny actually felt rather wrong about being here with him. When he had first asked her out, the girl had told him she still wasn't over Harry, yet Colin was never one to give up so easy. It had started during November and ended in February when she finally said yes. Yet Ginny told him she wouldn't be with him on Valentines, but the day before, Friday February 13, was ok. That is how she got herself into this mess.

The only high light of being with Colin is that she was out side of her Hogwarts dorm. She had refused to go to anything that was recreational. She didn't go to Quidittch matches, and turned down the Christmas Ball and the New Years party. All those events she stayed in her room, and cried rivers over Harry, who should have been there to take her to all these things. Yet now, with the excitement that was all around her, and the company of a very close friend, she felt…ok…

After a few hours of small smiles, few words, and many shops, the two walked into The Three Broomsticks. He led her to one of the tables in the back and sat her down. She smiled shyly at him as he gave her a huge grin. The red head smiled at him as he self-consciously picked at her pink sweater. He had forgotten his and asked to borrow Ginny's; she happily said yes. She knew Colin was having fun by the way he just kept talking, and stuttering and turning bright red every time their eyes met. The girl could have gone either way; she was and wasn't having fun at the same time. All she knew is that she wanted Draco by her side, because she felt like she was breaking. 

By some ill fate, Colin had sat Ginny at the very table where Ginny and Harry had spent their last time in Hogsmead together. She remembered sitting next to him on the other side, so no one would see them so close together. She remembered him looking at her with such adoration, with such love, that she wanted to be with him forever. Ginny had thought to herself then, "I want to spend the rest of my life with Harry." 4 days later, he disappeared.

Ginny kept her eyes glued to the table as Colin ordered. She didn't want a butter beer, she didn't want to be sitting here, and she didn't want to be at Hogwarts. All she wanted was to be at home, talking to Draco. 

Draco._ She thought curiously. He kept popping into her head the whole time. She didn't know what it was, but the face of Draco kept resurfacing…_

"Ginny?" came Colin suddenly. Her sad brown eyes looked up to lock with his blue. She smiled slightly, and he once again gave her a huge grin. "I…that is…I am glad you came here today with me."

"Yea." She replied softly. "Me too." He smiled again.

"Did you…have fun?" he inquired apprehensively. Ginny heard the hope in his voice, so taking a deep breath she nodded.

"Yea, haven't been out in a long time. It was nice to go with you." He began turning red.

"I-I'm glad you said that…" very slowly, Colin reached out and took her hand in between his. She looked at him queerly as he held it firmly. He smiled.

"Gin…"

"Colin." She said, trying to look around for some help, she didn't want him to say what she knew he would. Ginny would only break his heart.

"I…"

"Virginia." The young girl looked up to see the sliver eyes of her friend Draco. Ginny sat there for a few moments in utter disbelief, he was actually here! She gave him a curious look and quickly took her hand out of Colin's.

"Draco?" she breathed. All of a sudden, a sensation she hadn't felt in a long time came on her. She let out her first true grin all year and stood up, taking him in her arms. "I've missed you." the red head whispered to him. He wrapped his strong arms around her in return and took in a deep breath. The two stood like this for a few moments, with an alarmed Colin looking on, before he broke away.

"Can I…" he looked at the other boy with a sneer. "Talk to you?"

"Of course." She said with a smile. "I will be right back Colin." She told him, all the while looking at Draco. He nodded, and with out another word, Ginny followed the silver haired man out the back.

Ginny wrapped her robe around her, a present for Christmas from Draco, as he led her down the cobblestone alley. Their hands tightly clasped together as light snow began to fall. She didn't know whether to be worried or happy. It looked as if he had something urgent to tell her. Maybe something happened to her mum, or he heard something about war. The girl's heart then began to race, maybe it was about Harry…

Finally, the two came to a stop a few feet away from the pub, hidden in one of the darker alley's. She stood in front of him, leaning against the wall, as he looked around. At last Draco looked at her, she looked at him expectantly.

"Draco?" she questioned. He didn't answer, only stared deeply into her brow eyes. She met him with confusion as he gave her intensity. Ginny finally looked down and bit her lip. "Is every thing ok?"

"Ginny." He said softly, she furrowed her brow. 

"Ginny?"_ she inquired, "You never call me Ginny."_

He ran a hand through his fine sliver hair and shrugged. "I don't know."

"Know what?"

"How to do this?" Ginny looked up in alarm.

"Do what?" he stepped closer to her. "Is everything ok?"

"No." She bit her lip. "Nothing is ok Ginny."

"Is it my brother? My dad, mum…" she swallowed. "Ha…"

Yet before she could get his name out, Draco was pressing his lips firmly against hers. She went stiff for a total of 2 seconds, before she began to ease into him. He placed his arms around her waist, as she put her own around his neck. Their two bodies touched as their first kiss was shared, in an alley, with the snow of February 13th falling on them. Quickly, Ginny pulled back and looked at him with questioning eyes, he breathed in heavily.

"Draco?" she asked. 

"Ginny…" he shook his head. "I couldn't do it. I couldn't just let you go on a date with him."

"How did you know I was going on a date with Colin?" 

Malfoy looked down. "I was there when you sent that Letter to Charlie." Ginny had to blink several times before she could believe it, Draco was blushing. "I stole it, and you told him you were going on a date with that Creevey kid." He shrugged. "I only read it 45 minutes ago." 

"What does this mean Draco?" she asked slowly. 

  
"It means." He said, brushing the snowflakes from her face. "That I…" he cleared his throat. "That I …um…" the blonde ran another hand though his hair. "very much enjoy the pleasure of your company." 

No one knew who was more surprised, Ginny for his odd, but very Draco, declaration. Draco, for actually getting the words out, or at least close to it, the Gods who were relieved it finally happened, or Colin who was watching the whole thing. 

Ginny never went back to the Three Broomsticks after Draco had come. She simply spent the rest of the evening with her new love. The two did no more than hold hands and hug each other while the night waned on. There were little words spoken, there was no need for them. Both knew that this new found love that they shared was far different than anything either of them had ever encountered. 

It was later that night that Ginny returned to Hogwarts. Draco had dropped her off at the front door, like a true date, and kissed her good night. His kiss was soft and quick on the lips. When she had entered the Hogwarts halls, what she loved most about being with him was that he knew. He knew how far to go, he knew what to say, and he knew how fragile she was at this time. She smiled to herself as she whispered the password to the sleeping portrait. When it opened, and Ginny quietly slipped inside, she thought of her first sleep with out tears.

"Where have you been?" said a voice on the couch, Ginny stopped and tensed her shoulders. "With him I guess?" He stood up and faced her. The young girl felt like a child in front of him, the way he looked down on her. 

"I was with Draco, yes." She told him softly, he sighed heavily, and shook his head. 

"Why?" he said softly. "Why did you go with him?"

The young red head bit her lip and shrugged. "Because…"

"Do you love him?" he snapped. "Do you?"

"I…"

"I already know." he bit. "I heard what you were talking about…"

"Colin…" she cleared her throat. "How was I supposed to know that Draco would come?" he didn't respond. "Don't let this Incident_ get in between our friendship, please…"_

"This Incident_ Ginny is going to change our friendship." He looked at her dead in the eye. "I loved you…"_

"Colin…"

"And now I don't know what to do with you…" the young girl sniffed.

"You don't have to do anything with me Colin." She sighed and went to him. "Can't we just be friends…"

"Friends…" he snorted. "Even after this…incident…_friends will never be enough for me." Throwing her pink sweater on the couch, Colin started up the boy's stairs._

****

.

.

After putting on her shirt, Ginny looked at Colin for a long time. Lying there, sleeping, with the moon's rays hitting him, he looked so peaceful. He looked like the Colin she knew and loved but lately his eyes had grown dark, and his features turned rough. She walked up to him and took a stray piece of blonde hair out of his face. Ginny froze…when had she done this before…

All of a sudden Ginny was quite aware of what she had just done. She cheated on Draco. Quickly, the young girl took her hand from his forehead, as if it burned her, and held it close to her body. She felt a huge weight fall on her heart in that moment. Draco…Draco…Draco… She covered her mouth and let out a huge cry. She was a traitor, Ginny had just done what Draco did to her…and she felt so lonely. 

Ginny slid her hand down her neck and rubbed it when she noticed her necklace was gone. She quickly searched her body and pockets, and when she didn't find it, began to panic. The red head dropped to her knees and began to look on the floor for it. She searched under his bed and under the dresser. She then stood up and searched the dresser, and when she looked at Colin again, she saw it lying in between him and the white sheets. She sighed and picked it up quickly, slipping it over her neck, and feeling much better. Ginny maybe a horrible person, but she still loved Draco with all her might. When Colin began to shift, she knew it was time to go. She made sure she had her wand and with one final look at her best friend, walked out of the door. 

The young girl looked above her head and into the sky. It was black, with no stars, just a moon that came in and out from behind the clouds. She stood there, in front of the hospital, hand clutching her ring, looking into the sky. And it was at that very moment did Ginny finally realize she was alone. She had just ruined her friendship with Colin and her relationship with Draco. She closed her eyes and took in some of the crisp night air into her lungs. Ginny shook her head and began walking to her tent.

"So, it's true." Came a sharp voice. "You _are_ gay." Ginny froze. 

"C-commander..." she answered softly, she then looked down and began making her way towards her tent.

"What I find funny." Started Draco, who was obviously following her. "Is that you claimed…under Vertiserum, that you weren't gay…when in fact, you've been tossing Creevy's salad."

"Bugger off." she barked at him, Malfoy chuckled.

"Oh, Cache, you don't have ol' Dumbly's protection any more, he's gone away…"

"I wish you would you bullocks eating bastard." She spat at him. The moon moved behind the clouds.

"What the hell did you just say to Me.?" shouted Malfoy, grabbing Ginny's shoulder and turning her around. "I am sorry that I offend your relationship with Creevey, but I don't want you or any of your whoring around at my camp…"

"Last time I checked Malfoy, you were the one whoring around." She yelled. "Yea… you and that fucking slag! You have fun?" Ginny said, eyes blazing as she came towards him. "You fuck her good?"

"Shut up Cache."

"I bet, when you were with her, you were screaming your old girlfriends name." His face went stiff. "Virginia." Ginny whispered.

"Fuck you!" yelled Draco. "I thought I told you…"

"Yea, go fuck that little bint of yours you son of a bitch bastard!" she screamed, pushing his shoulder. "You think any one cares! You think Ginny would care!" He began to breathe heavily. "I bet she was out tonight." The red head grinned evilly. "Screwing some other guy, and you were the last thing on her mind!" All of a sudden, Ginny saw Draco's fist come toward her, but instead of fearing it, she grabbed his mid section, and tackled him to the ground.

The two began to roll around in the grass, throwing ill-aimed punches, and grabbing anything they could. Ginny wasn't panicking one bit; she was letting all the anger she had for Draco come out in these few minutes of wrestling. At this point, they weren't wrestling just for hatred, but reconciliation for everything they had done wrong. The two were still cursing and hitting each other as best as they could. The young woman as growing weak quick, for as she was strong and best in her class, a man's pure strength she was no match for her. When the two quarreling people finally stopped, and Draco had the upper hand, the moon moved out from behind the clouds.

Raising his fist for his first good blow, Draco felt something funny under his hand. He opened his palm a bit, with a panting Ginny underneath him, and looked at her necklace. Ginny watched as his expression went from livid to utter confusion. He took the ring in between his index and thumb and looked at it carefully. 

"What?" he whispered. "Where did you get this?" His eyes then found its way to the soldier's face and he died right then. "Ginny?" he said, looking at her though squinted eyes, she didn't say anything, only took in ragged breaths. "Ginny!"

The young woman didn't know what to do. Her whole mind froze as she and Draco looked deep into each other's eyes. She could barely breathe, the intensity of his stare was getting too much for her, and all she wanted to do was cry. 

"Ginny." He breathed, as he ran a hand over her face. Ginny could only close her eyes and basked in his touch. Draco, oh how much she missed him, how she lit on fire with his hands on her skin, how his deep silver eyes looked at her with devotion and love. She opened her brown eyes to meet his, and then like a lightening bolt, the adoration was gone, and all that was left was astonishment.

"GINNY!" he yelled loudly. The young woman only had one choice, and in an instant it was made. Ginny quickly flipped Draco over onto his back, and with one last look into his beautiful sliver eyes, gave him a blow to the face that was guaranteed to knock him unconscious.

The red head lay on top of him for a while, letting the crisp night air dry the tears on her face. She softly kissed every inch of Draco's beautiful face, telling a man who she had just knocked out that she loved him more than life itself.

"I am sorry Draco." She told him, as she kissed his palm. "I am so sorry." 

****

.

.

The next morning, Draco woke up with a huge headache. Yet, instead of getting right up, he laid in bed for a few moments. He had the oddest dream. He dreamt that Ginny had lied in bed with him, telling him how much she missed him. His love had kissed him softly and told him how she forgives him for everything he's done, and how she hopes he would do the same. Draco felt as if her kisses were as real as the headache. He sighed and closed his eyes with a groan; he thought he was over the dreams by now. 

Finally, Draco stumbled toward his mirror and looked at himself. Squinting, he looked closer, when the hell did he get that bruise. Gingerly, he touched the small purple spot on his face and winced, it was fresh. Draco felt as if he had a hang over, but didn't remember drinking. He huffed; there was something wrong here. 

After a quick shower and some pepper up potion from an edgy Creevey, Draco made his way to the mess hall. He entered the tent, looking over at Potter who was engrossed in a letter, and ran into some one.

"Watch out!" he barked, and when he saw the face of that queer little mouse Casey, he felt anger rise in him. "Wanker." He growled. His soldier didn't say anything, only took his tray over to Longbottom and Henderson's table. 

The rest of Draco's breakfast didn't go well. All he kept doing was staring at the bloody ass Casey. He was so sick of his face, so sick of his voice, so sick of him just being here, Draco couldn't even enjoy his breakfast (not that there _was _anything to enjoy). Plus, that whole "I love you " thing from yesterday. Well, Draco didn't want this blundering, little faggot around his camp. So with another disgusted look at Cache, he left the mess hall to have a word with Potter.

"I'm done with him." started Draco as soon as he entered Potter's tent, which was currently looking out his small window. "I want that stupid little piece of shit out of my camp."

"What?" came scar head distractedly, Draco huffed.

"I don't care how it's done, all I want is that Wanker out of here by tonight!" he slammed his fist on the desk. "I bloody hate him." He watched as Potter sighed.

"I can't do that." Draco growled.

"And why not! I will go over your head Potter if you don't do this."

"No, I mean I _can't_ do that." His green eyes met Draco's silver ones, they were filled with fear.

"Potter…"

"I got the letter just now." he responded, holding up a piece of parchment. "That why Dumbledore left last night." Potter sighed and threw the letter on the table. 

"What's going on?"

"It's our orders." He told him. "Malfoy, we go to war tomorrow."

****

…

a/n: well, that is chappy 10! I hoped you guys enjoyed it! I know I did! sorry for the wait!

And oh…man oh man…I cannot WAIT till chappy 11! Omg! OMG! Hehe… you guys will LOVE It…

Hahahha…until then… here is my love to…

****

Nichole Malfoy... Chammy… Charmed-Goddess-07… Icy Lullaby… Ayumi-dono… Yodarox … Lazy Me… DnG4eVeR… NNC… Jessie… MoonDevil99… carameLisSa… Sazzy7… MISSERS… LoveHopeFaith… Siriusforeva… Wizzabee… Bobbynotme… Shayomac… Calicat… Kris-tina4… DragonsMistress… Kimrs… Sky… Katya… Great… GinCrazy… Skotos… Karlin… Lazyme… Terriah… TrippyGirl20051

Thanks to all of you! I love you soo much! And thank you for getting me to 200! 

Special thanks to **MISSERS! I 3 ya! **My oh so wonderful Beta!

  
And much love to those who read and don't review….you know who you are…shame shame shame!! Heheh…no…if you can, just drop me a line at least, so I can say thanks!

Ne who, I must be off now…cant wait till chappy 11!!

__

Love,

YvettE _aka _Evy.

****

Next Chapter:

Orders in War

Training put to Use

Saving a life  
_And…_  
Captures 

__

Its going to be fun…


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

_They say it is never too late to be what you might have been..._

"Tomorrow?" asked Draco with a furrowed brow, "what do you mean tomorrow?" Harry sighed.

"Dumbledore just sent the letter…"

"Where?" asked Malfoy distractedly, "when?"

"Hogsmeade, at five twenty p.m."

"Five twenty?" the silver haired man asked sternly, Harry shrugged.

"Time of Voldemort's defeat," he replied somberly. There was a long silence between the two, as Harry just watched Malfoy's eyes dart back and forth, as if trying to figure something out.

"But…we're not ready," said Malfoy; apprehension very evident in his voice. The other Commander shrugged his shoulders.

"It is war Malfoy, you should know that whether you are ready or not, it comes."

For a few moments Draco was trying to find his words. Confusion, mixed with a sense of foreboding was striking him dead in his heart. A war…a war…they were going to war.

"No," he said after a few moments, "no."

"No?" came Harry, "sorry Malfoy, but this is one occasion where "no" isn't an option."

"What about the other camps, " Malfoy said. "What are they doing, we the only ones going into war…I…"

Harry cut him off, "all camps have their own designated time to go in."

"Designated time?"

"Yes, the letter said all camps will go in at a certain time, as to not waste men or energy."

Draco then asked, "Where are we stationed?"

"We are stationed by the Shrieking Shack," the two men looked at each other knowingly, both having some relation to that particular house. There was once more an extended silence, as both reflected on the fact that tomorrow could be their last day here on earth, with so much undone, unseen, and unsaid.

"I think," said Harry slowly, breaking the tense silence."We tell our men separately, and then give them the day off. Encourage them to get some sleep, practice, read, pack, whatever they want, but before they could do that, have them write letters."

"Letters?" asked Malfoy, "what for?"

The green eyed man sighed, "I know that if my parents or Sirius had left me a letter, or just something, I know I would have appreciated it." Harry shrugged. "You don't have to."

"I will," replied Draco. He then looked down, and after a few moments, his eyes flew back to Harry's. "We're not ready."

"Yes we are."

"No…" started Malfoy firmly, "we're not."

"Do you really have such little faith in your men?" inquired Harry. "I know Casey, Seamus and Neville aren't your cuppa, but don't you feel that they can handle themselves."

"No," snapped the silver haired man, "I don't think they are ready, none of us are ready for this war. It's too soon there is so much we still haven't taught."

"Yes, but we taught the basics, advance curses, hand-to-hand combat, disguises, everything, we don't need to worry…"

"We have EVERY reason to worry," yelled Draco, "we can't go to war, do you understand me? We just can't! It isn't the time, we are not ready, nor will we ever be ready!" He was breathing heavily, and all Harry could do was shake his head.

"My question is, Malfoy," he started slowly, "are your men not ready…or you?" Draco turned to the window. "I know you miss her…"

"_Shut up_!" growled Malfoy, "this has _nothing_ to do with her!"

"This has _everything_ to do with her!" challenged Harry, "You think I'm stupid Malfoy, do you think I am bloody blind? Do you think I don't see you staring at your ring when you think no one is looking? Don't you think I notice when you go to breakfast in the morning, eyes puffy? I know all your tells Malfoy, because I have been there before and for the same bloody reason."

"You," said Malfoy with a tremble in his voice, "have no idea what you are talking about," he breathed in heavily. "I have no tells and this is not about her. I am not going to cry because she left me…"

"You're not going to cry, Malfoy," said Harry, "because you've cried enough." A look of stone came over Malfoy as his face and lips went tight. He breathed in heavily and held his head high.

"I will tell my men," and with one last glare, he turned around and walked out of Harry's tent. Knowing that everything he said…was right.

Ginny sat there with a furrowed brow as Draco walked out of the door. She and all her mates sat in silence after what he had just told them; they were going to war. Slowly, she leaned back onto her pillow and thought. _War._ She was going to war. Closing here eyes, she thought about the fact that it was time. After years and years of waiting to be an Auror, and after the first two years of Training, and now after seven months of anticipation, of proving herself, it was going to happen. She was going to fulfill her dream, and prove herself to the world. There was only one problem:

She wasn't ready.

The redhead thought for a long time, even after the realization hit the others, and worried chatter began to buzz about the room; Ginny sat there stunned. There were so many thoughts that were going through her head: Draco, her family, Harry, her life, Draco, her dreams, Draco, her friends, Colin, Draco. She couldn't get it all together; it was a jumbled mess of faces, names, sounds, and feelings swirling through her head. However, there was only one thought that kept popping up, and it was Draco.

Ginny realized that going to war meant a thousand different things. It meant that things were going to change; people were going to go into war, but not come out. She then felt an odd amount of guilt. Ginny wanted to go home. She wanted to go and hug her mum, kiss her dad and brothers, and be with Draco…maybe for the last time. She sighed as she looked at Neville who was sitting on the bed next to her. He smiled slightly.

"They are telling us to write letters," he said softly, "something about they may be our last words…" the man shook his head, "it doesn't seem right, does it?"

"No," Ginny said offhandedly, "it doesn't seem right at all."

"It feels like just yesterday, I was in St. Mungos, telling my parents that I was going." Neville's brown eyes went sad, "they kept shaking their heads, that's all, just shaking their heads."

"Do you think it means something?" Neville sighed.

"No, at least…I hope they don't. My parents aren't really… they aren't themselves, so I don't really know what they meant," Ginny smiled sympathetically at him, knowing his situation with his parents.

"Well, I don't like the idea," She told him, "I don't like it at all."

He furrowed his brow, "neither do I, but that's why we are here, we just didn't know it was going to come so soon."

"I don't…" she started slowly, "I don't think I can do this."

"Aw Case, don't get cold feet on us now, mate," he slapped her on the back, "we are gonna need you out there."

"I feel…" she furrowed her brow. "There are things that I have done, and I don't think I can go…without…" she trailed off.

"What do you mean?" Neville asked cautiously, Ginny shrugged.

"Everyone has their secrets, Neville," she told him, "it's just that my secrets, I can't go back, once I go into war, that's it." he smiled reassuringly.

"Well, that's stupid."

Her head snapped to Neville, "what?

"Well, of course you can't go back, but you can go forward. Once you get out of this Case, you will see, whatever you have done, it won't matter, because the people or the person who you wronged will only be glad that you are back," he nodded, "I know it seems stupid, but it's true, don't think you don't have time because you do…you do."

"Neville," Ginny started softly, as she stood up, "if only it were that easy." He stood up as well.

"Then don't make it difficult. You are the only one who can make things happen Case, someone taught me that."

She grinned, "and who was that," he shrugged.

"An old professor," he shook his head, "it was the only time in history in which I wasn't shaking in fear when I saw him," rolling his eyes Neville looked at Ginny.

"I still don't know if I am ready for this…all of this…"

"Well Case, it's not about being ready, it's about doing what you set out to do."

"Hmm…"

"You came out here to fight, and now…here is your chance," Ginny nodded for a moment, and smiled.

"I'll see you later mate," she said softly, he nodded.

"Yeah," and Ginny slowly left her friends to contemplate what was in store for tomorrow.

Ginny was walking amongst the hills of the Northumberland countryside. The wind rustled the grass a bit, as the few trees swayed back and forth. Ginny sighed. She had grown accustom to this unspoiled land and all too soon, it was going to be a distant memory. She knew this war wasn't going to last long and she would be glad of it. The only thing she won't be glad about is when it is time to go home. She would have to face her mum, and dad, her brothers and her friends. They would have to look at her and know that they would have no choice but to snap her wand. Her father had promised he would do so.

Ginny shook her head. She shouldn't be feeling so glum, this was her CHANCE! She was going to be what she had wanted to be for so long. Yet, she couldn't understand this sense of foreboding in her soul, like something was amiss, and she didn't know what. She figured it was due to the numerous amount of lies she had deep with in her, or the fact that she and Draco's bond was now so severed, she couldn't even feel him anymore. Maybe it was a thousand different things, but whatever it was, it wasn't good.

The young woman looked up as the sound of crunching grass came from behind her. Her brown eyes met blue ones, as Colin took a seat next to her on the lush grass. There was an awkward silence. The two didn't say anything for a long time, only watched as the sun slowly began to set over the rolling hills. After a few moments, Colin placed his hand on her shoulder. Ginny looked shyly over to him, and saw nothing but questioning in his eyes. She looked away.

Suddenly, Colin took her chin in his hand and placed his lips softly on hers. Ginny didn't respond, and when his lips began to move a bit harder, she pulled away. Looking into the dirt, the young girl didn't dare meet his eye. The redhead could feel the disappointment and hurt coming from her friend. Mustering up all her courage, Ginny looked at Colin and said.

"I can only hurt you, Colin…"

"Ginny…"

"Because I only love Draco," there was a long silence that ensued, and after a few moments of his penetrating gaze, Colin stood up, and walked back to camp.

There was not a sound made as the fifty men Apparated behind the Shrieking Shack. It was five p.m. and the sun was due to set at any moment. The men rapidly began to hide underneath bushes and around the house, making sure to be blocked from view. The men had come in pairs, according to their skill and ability shown on the courses at camp. Quickly, they took out their wands and waited for a sign.

Ginny breathed heavily as she crouched next to Dominic, the two looked through the brush at the small village before them. She looked over at Draco who was talking quietly with Harry, his brow furrowed. Slowly, the men began to look from one another. Where was the battle? Ginny thought to herself as she looked out past the house. There was no one out there; it was as if it was completely deserted. Dominic grabbed Ginny's shoulder and began to lead her out past the brush with the others.

"What's going on?" inquired Ginny, as Dominic looked over at Neville, he turned to Ginny.

"We are going out to look for civilians," he said in his thick accent, she nodded. "Commander Potter thinks it odd for no one to be out there."

They began to break up into groups of two, with wands at the ready. Ginny's body was rushing with adrenaline; she was so scared she didn't know what to do. She broke off from the main group and began walking down the all too familiar cobblestone streets of Hogsmeade. Her brown eyes were sharp as she looked over the deserted road. There was no sign of any life in this usually bustling village.

As Ginny took a few more steps; she heard the sound of rustling. She stopped; her wand gripped so tight in her hand she felt as if it would snap. The rustling became louder, closer. With her heart racing, she turned around only to see a black robe swirling away, down the alley. Without a moment's hesitation, she took off after it. Looking into the alley, she watched as the robe turned down another alley. Ginny ran faster, turning the corner once more, she was met with the back of Dominic. She sighed.

"Dom," she said softly, "was that you?" he didn't reply. "Don't scare me like that mate, I almost had a heart attack." The girl walked up to him, and placed her arm on his shoulder. When she did so, Dominic fell to the ground, blood leaking out of his mouth.

Ginny stifled a scream as she looked into his blank brown eyes. Ginny bent down, shakily, and felt his pulse; there was none to be found. The girl then realized that they were not alone in this village. Looking at her Muggle wristwatch, she saw that the time read five nineteen, they were already here.

The redhead turned on her heel and raced back to the main streets. They had to be ready, they had to be or more would die. She reached the streets in time to see a group of men, dressed in black Apparate into the center of the village. Ginny looked at them queerly, she hadn't even heard them Apparate in, and she was standing in front of them.

Yet, she had things to do, so stepping back into the alley, she sent four red sparks into the air, signaling the arrival of their foes. Ginny heard the yells of men as the sparks were seen. The young woman closed her eyes and said to herself.

"It's time," and getting her wand out, she ran into her war.

Fatigue. That was the only word she could think of. She was so tired, it had been hours since the fighting had started, and the Death Eaters just kept coming. Not to mention that no one had arrived to help, no other camps. Yet Ginny didn't have too much time to lament. A man was chasing her three times her size and she need to either stop or fight, or keep running. So, with strength from Merlin, she turned around and threw a stunning spell at him. The man fell to the ground, body frozen; Ginny turned and kept running.

Ginny didn't feel anything as she ran, dodging curses and jumping over frozen or dead bodies. The young solider knew just by looking that the Death Eaters were out numbering them. She could see the worry in Neville's face as he stunned another Death Eater and looked over his shoulder to see a dozen more coming. Yet, that wasn't what Ginny was worried about. The young woman hadn't seen Draco since the Shrieking Shack. Her eyes scanned the crowd as she ran though the War, seeking out her blond true love.

When she reached the Shrieking Shack, she found what she was looking for. Her heart almost stopped as she looked at him. He was so tired; she could see it in the way he stood: slightly hunched, which could only be seen by her trained eye, as he and another Death Eater circled one another. Blood was dripping from the side of his head, as gashes ran though out his once perfect robes. With an ever watchful eye, she studied the two, obvious powers of their troops, because words were being shared between the two. Then again, Ginny though, they could be old acquaintances.

It was at that moment, that the Death Eater struck, sending a green light Draco's way. He dodged it with cat like ability, and sent a red light from his own wand. Her brown eyes were brimming with tears; her Draco was in danger. Ginny gripped her wand, and began to slowly make her way toward him.

She watched as a few more spells were sent each other's way, until a green light shot out of Draco's wand, sending the other Death Eater to the ground. Ginny then watched as three other Death Eaters ran from behind the brush and began attacking Draco. The young woman wasted no in time in defending her lover, and ran to his side.

Ginny hit a man with the Cruciatus Curse, sending him to his knees. When she reached him, the man sent a fist, which collided with Ginny's unsuspecting face. Stumbling back, the girl tried to gain her balance, giving time for the Death Eater to get to his feet. As he approached her, Ginny gave him a stunning spell, and he fell. Ginny wiped the blood off her face and looked to find Draco fist fighting with the last Death Eater. Their wands lay off to the side, as blows were shared. Ginny, a good distance away began to run when something out of the corner of her eye caught her attention. The third Death Eater was standing off to the side, his wand held firmly in front of him.

It happened in a blink of an eye. Ginny looked at Draco, who sent a final blow to the other Death Eater, sending him to the ground. Then to the other man clad in black opened his mouth to send a curse at Draco. Ginny only had one option; she raised her wand and screamed:

"AVADA KEDAVRA!"

Draco turned around as soon as he heard the words spoken. He looked behind him to see a Death Eater not to far from him fall to the ground. He furrowed his brow, where the hell did which come from? Looking to his left, he saw Casey Caché with his wand out and looking at the dead Death Eater. Draco was almost too astonished to speak. Did Casey Caché just save his life?

The silver haired man didn't say anything, only went over and picked up his wand. When he got back up, he looked at Casey who was still in the same position, shaking violently. He sighed, and walked over to him. The look on the soldier's face would have been comical, had it not been for the severity of the situation. His mouth was open, eyes wide, as he if he himself couldn't believe what he had just done. Draco didn't have it in him to insult him, only sighed.

"Thank you," Draco said simply. Caché looked at him, eyes wide and nodded.

"I would do anything for you," was his reply.

The two looked at each other oddly, as if a something different was happening. Draco, as much as he hated to admit it, could feel his hatred for Caché melt away. It was replaced with something new, a sense of gratitude and debt. He was now forever indebted to Casey Caché. Draco took his eyes away from the other soldier for a moment to see three Death Eaters pointing their wands at Caché.

He screamed, an odd high pitched scream, and fell to the ground. Draco's mind went blank as Casey's head hit the cobble stone street with a crack; blood began to flow. His silver eyes then flew up, and held up his wand to the three men. A hard blow was then given to the back of his head, and everything went blank.

…

A/N: updated. I hoped you enjoy, leave a nice note if you enjoyed it.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

_They say it is important to be able to sacrifice what we are, for what we could become…_

All life seemed to stand still. There was nothing, not a cool breeze, or a blue sky. Not an earth or a heaven, just void. The blackness that filled the space was vast, as if it would go on forever, if there was one that is. Looking down, there was no physical body, only the feeling that something was holding them up. No face, hands, feet or arm could be seen, just darkness. Then, like a title wave, it all came crashing back.

Draco's eyes flew open to the sounds of laughter. Groggy eyes could only see the dark red carpet in front of him. There was the sound of distant chatter, and the pounding of feet. He closed his eyes and tried to feel his body, if he still had one. Lifting a hand that was lying in front of him, he began to slowly flex his fingers, _still working_, he thought. However, once he realized that his body was indeed still intact, the pain behind his head filled his senses.

It was if little stars were dancing before his eyes. The pain was crippling, and Draco eye's stung with tears. He let out a loud moan, and curled into a ball, all the while gripping his head.

"AH! The little fuck's awake," Called a gruff voice. The chatter stopped, as laughter ensued.

"Look at 'im!" said a voice.

"Crying like a bloody bint!"

"What a slag!" there was more laughter, the louder they got, the more Draco's head hurt. He blocked out the rest of their taunting and focused on his pain. _Be strong_, he said to himself, _Merlin, be strong_.

"Oi! Let's get 'im something to make the pain go away!" some one called, "'e'll want to be awake for this."

Suddenly, someone grabbed Draco's shoulders and lifted him up. His silver eyes rolled back before focusing on the face in front of him.

"Zabini?" he came with a slur. There was a blow to his face.

"You do not address him, you fucking minger!" the Death Eater said to him,

"It's alright, just clean him up" His face was then grabbed, and a vile of potion was stuck into his mouth. Draco tried to spit it out; whether good or bad he didn't want anything from this lot. He fought with the Death Eaters, spiting and turning his head, but his energy was draining quickly and soon enough, he was taken over.

Blaise, his old friend, had a look of pure enjoyment on his face as Draco was dropped to the ground, coughing and spitting out blood. There was laughter, and more comments on Draco's broken appearance. After a few moments, the pain in his body went away, and he was able to look up.

"It was only Pepper Up potion." Blaise said softly. "There was no need to worry."

"Fuck you," was Draco's only reply; the others snickered.

"Always such a cunt, weren't you Malfoy?"

Draco didn't acknowledge his voice, only stood up. When Draco was able to stand up to his full height, he sneered as he found he was a head taller than Zabini. The two just looked at each other; they had so much history, being friends since they were 5 years old. However, when Zabini tried to drag Draco into the ranks of the Death Eaters, Draco left him in the dust. That was over six years now, and the two hadn't looked on each other since. Silver eyes met deep brown ones, until Blaise rolled his eyes.

"You still are a little bastard," he came tauntingly. "Even when you are obviously out numbered, you still act as if the world revolves around you."

"When you're around, Zabini," started Draco; "it is obvious who out shines you in very sense of the word." The other man's eyes grew bitter, as the smirk on Draco's face grew. Suddenly, as if a light bulb clicked in his head, Blaise began to smile. Not just any smile, a cruel, all knowing smile. Draco raised a brow. "And what do you find so amusing?" the other man shook his head.

"It's just…" he began to laugh. "You are the most pompous sod I ever met." He looked Draco straight in the eye. "And I just can't wait until you beg me to stop."

"Stop what?" replied Draco, Blaise smiled again.

Looking to the other men, he signaled them to grab Draco. Seizing him by the arms, the two men twice as large as Draco began to beat him. Blows were given to his face, chest, stomach, side and back. Yet Draco made now sound. If this were what Blaise was talking about, he wouldn't give him the satisfaction of saying a word. The silver haired man took every blow with as much dignity as he could muster, even when he heard a resounding crack, as a knee was given to his ribs. Even as blood began to fill his mouth, and various bones were cracking with every hit, Draco didn't say a word.

When the two were done, they threw Draco to the ground, who coughed out a puddle of blood. He couldn't breathe, as a few of his ribs had been cracked. He looked up, through one puffy eye and smirked the best he could.

"Is that all, Zabini?" came Draco, coughing out more blood. "I took better beatings in school." His foe only smiled.

"Oh, you thought that was what I was talking about?" Draco furrowed his brow.

"What?"

"Oh Malfoy, I know you could take a beating twice as much as this…" he nodded to his men, who quickly left the room. "But…can your friend?"

Draco looked up as two Death Eaters brought in Casey Caché. His head was hanging low, and his clothes were tattered and ripped. His silver eyes watched as they dropped him harshly to the ground. Blaise then went over to him and knelt next to Casey's barley moving figure

"Do you know…" came Zabini, ruffling his hair. "Who this is?"

"That soldier is no one of consequence!" he yelled, feeling his debt in the pit of his heart.

"Just tell me, Draco, dear friend." He said, "Who is this?"

"That is Casey Caché, he is a solider in my camp!" there was a burst of laughter by all the men, even Blaise himself was laughing at Draco, "Leave him alone!" the men laughed more. "He has nothing to do with this!"

"He?" came Zabini, "_He_…" he pointed to Casey.

"Yes, _he_!"

"Oh Draco, Oh stupid, naïve, blind, Draco." He stood up and turned to his men. "Can you believe it, boys! He doesn't know who this is!" there was more laughter as he turned back to Draco, chuckling.

"He doesn't matter!" yelled Draco. "I matter, take him away, do any thing you like to me!" Blaise shook his head.

"This is too much fun," he whispered softly. The black haired man slowly made his way to Draco, kneeling in front of him he smiled. "Do you remember, back in school?" he started, as if he was talking to a child. "You had a crush on a certain…shall we say… Mudblood lover?" Draco growled. "Do you?"

"Fuck you!" Yelled Draco.

"Answer the question, Draco." He said, taking his chin in his hands, as the two Death Eaters held his arms. "Do you remember?"

"Of course, you bloody minger!" growled Draco.

"Ginevra Weasley." Balise sighed. "Quite fit wasn't she?" He smirked. "If you only knew how much I wanted to fuck her, right in front of you."

"Shut the fuck up!" yelled Malfoy. "Don't you talk about her like that! Don't you fu…"

"Then Potter shagged her and left her in the same night. I have to give it to him though, I wouldn't stay with that poor trash either." Malfoy tried to get out of the Death Eater's grip, but that only landed him another knee to the ribs. "Then you two got together, and then engaged!" he sighed dreamily. "It was so…romantic, wasn't it?"

"Shut up," He wheezed out. "Don't talk about her!"

"How well do you know this…this…Weasley whore?" he inquired. "I'm guessing not very well." Draco furrowed his brow as Blaise got up, and walked over to Casey. Picking up his head, he showed it to Draco. "Bring him closer." He ordered, and the men dragged him closer to Zabini. Draco looked at the two in wonder, what the hell was he getting at?

"Now tell me Malfoy, who is this?" Draco looked quickly at Casey.

"Casey Caché," He replied, more chuckling, as Blaise shook his head.

"Take a closer look." He told him grinned. Draco furrowed his brow and looked at Casey closely. He looked different. His nose seemed smaller, and his lips fuller. Draco guessed it was the beating he must have taken, the blond shook his head.

"Caché," He said again. Blaise then rolled his eyes, and pulled back the neck, exposing the whole face, and having the hair out of his eyes.

"Can you see it, Draco?" he asked in a taunting manner. "Can you see what we all saw in less than two minutes?" Draco's eyes narrowed as they looked at C…

Draco's mouth fell open as he took in who he was looking at. That… that wasn't Casey it was Ginny. His heart began to beat rapidly, as his mind raced. It was Ginny! That …Casey…she... he…GINNY! He looked at her for a long time, eyes burning with the new emotion swirling inside of him.

"You see it now, Draco?" he asked him. "You see her, I did. I saw Ginevra Weasley in less than two seconds after they brought her in. Knocked out cold, head bleeding, I knew there was something wrong with this soldier, and in an instant I knew. This was no man, but a woman, a woman who changed her entire identity to be in the War. She tricked the smartest commanders in England, with only a few spells and some duct tape." Blaise laughed and looked to his men. "Wake her up." A few of the men walked over to Ginny, "Couldn't even recognize the girl you loved Malfoy?" inquired Zabini. "How pathetic."

After a few moments, the sound of sputtering and gasping was heard. Draco was too shocked to do or say anything. Ginny… his Ginny…

"How are you my little sun shine?" came Blaise, kneeling in front of her. She shook her head.

"Huh?" she asked, looking around groggily. Draco could see her looking like an animal in a cage. Fortunately, the Death Eaters blocked Draco from view.

"Feeling, okay?"

"Where am I?" she said in a deep voice, Draco turned away.

There was some laughter before. "Oh darling, there is no need for façade here, we all know who you are…"

"What the…"

"Ginevra Weasley." There was silence. "How are you love?"

"I don't know what you are talking about…I…"

"Cut the shit, slag!" yelled Blaise, taking her by her short hair. "We know who you are, we took the spells off your face, and the tape on your breast! You are Ginevra Weasley, daughter of the Minster of Magic, and faithful fiancée to…" He lifted her up, so she was standing on her own feet, but her weight was on Blaise. He then parted the Death Eaters and stood in front of Draco.

Their eyes met, and Draco died. He felt as if his soul had just turn to dust, and his heart ripped out from his own chest. There she was, Ginny, always so close, always right there, and he hadn't even seen it. Blaise had seen it so quickly, and he hadn't seen it in five months.

"Draco Malfoy." Her mouth opened a closed for a few moments, before large tears began leaking down her face. Draco's mouth shut as a sob reached his lips. He wouldn't cry, he wouldn't dare cry for her…he wouldn't any more. She was a betrayer.

"Dr…"

"No, no, no," Came Blaise, placing a finger over her lips. "Before we start with the 'I love you' let's get you fixed up." He beckoned a Death Eater, who came immediately to his side. Blaise then took a hand and touched Ginny's face softly, all the while smirking at Draco. He wanted to lunge at Zabini, but his pride wouldn't let him. "Healer, take care of this fit Mudblood lover." As the Death Eater stretched out his hands, Blaise stopped him. "But before you do, why don't you share with the group." The Death Eater nodded, and took off his mask.

Draco heard Ginny give a loud cry. Draco's own eyes widened with fear as Colin Creevey's face appeared behind the mask. Ginny was shaking with fear as he came closer, a sinister look on his face.

"See my dearest," started the black haired man, "Arthur Weasley was right, there was a mole in the camp."

"Healer's loyalties are not bound to one side," said Colin, coming too close to Ginny. "I am able to heal all that needed it."

"So, he came to us." He smiled, "why don't you heal our new girl, as you tell Malfoy a story." The two smirked at each other, as Ginny was sat harshly on the ground. Colin then quickly straddled Ginny, and smiled at Draco. 

"You see Malfoy, I knew who Casey was." Draco began to feel the heat rise in his face. "I knew, for about three months. The day she fell from the obstacle course, I found something strange." He kissed her lips, the woman grimaced. "That our Casey was a woman, and she later told me that she was in fact Ginevra Weasley." He caressed her face, "the love of _our_ lives." He then took a vile out of his pocket, and slipped the tip into her mouth. "Drink up, love." Draco looked at her eyes, and saw tears and hate in them as Colin smiled happily. "And the day of the Veritaserum test…" he looked at Draco with a raised brow, as Ginny swallowed the liquid.

"Go on man!" came Blaise, "I want DETAILS!" the Death Eaters chuckled.

"Oh Malfoy," taunted Colin. "I would have loved for you to have been there." He smiled cruelly, "As I fucked her." Ginny shook her head, and coughed, pushing him harshly from her.

"Fuck you, Colin!" she breathed, looking at him with pure disgust, "You sodding..."but she was cut off by his lips crashing down upon hers, taking a fist full of red hair in his hand. Draco watched as their eyes never left each other, even as if tear after tear fell down her face, and she pushed at him in vain. Draco felt sick to his stomach, watching as the love of his life kissed another man, knowing that this was not the first time. Knowing that she had willingly gave more to him. He felt his anger bubbling, as he clenched his fist. When the kiss broke, Colin just kept her close to him, watching her as she spit at him and on the floor; as if trying to get the taste of him out of her mouth. His eyes then turned to back to Draco, giving him a cold smirk.

"She came to me Malfoy," Said Colin, running a hand through her hair and down her body, ignoring the sounds of disgust coming from Ginevra, "over, and over, calling my name. Saying things she would have never said to you. I did things…"

"Shut up!" yelled Ginny, pushing away from him, only to have her back to another Death Eater who grabbed her shoulders, holding her still. "Colin…you fucking minger..."

"Belt up slag!" shouted Blaise.

"I always hated you Malfoy," said Colin, coming to stand in front of him. "Always, since the day I entered Hogwarts, I hated you. So, the best way to get my revenge was to shag the only thing that matters to you."

"Fuck you," growled Draco, barely above a whisper.

"Well, we were hoping she would fuck _me_," came Blaise. Draco looked up at him, as he walked over to Ginny.

"Feel better, love?" he inquired as he took her from the other Death Eater, touching her stomach.

"Get off me!" she screamed. "Don't you fucking touch me…" he slapped her in the face.

"No, no, ladies don't talk like that." He told her, she looked at him with malice.

"If you touch me you bastard, I swear to Merlin…" Blaise then grabbed her around the waist and crashed his lips down on hers. Draco watched in horror as Ginny scratched and fought against him. Blaise's hand then made its way to her breasts and she scratched him in the eye. The black haired man pulled away and punched her hard in the face, causing her to fall to the ground.

"Blaise!" yelled Colin. "Don't you hit her like that," He rolled his eyes.

"Belt up, Colin, you'll get your end in." He smiled as he looked at Ginny, "after I get my…end in."

"Mine too!" came another.

"And mine!"

There was a round of laughter as Blaise turned back to Draco.

"Want to watch, my old friend?" Draco didn't reply, only looked at Ginny who had tears dripping down her face, silently mouthing to him.

"Help me, Draco." She shook her head. "Please."

"No?" came Blaise, he shrugged. "Alright then, get him out of here!"

The blond man's eyes went wide as they picked him up by the arms. He began to struggle, against them.

"DRACO!" cried Ginny, as she stood up as well. She began to run toward him when Blaise came behind her, and pulled her to him.

"No, no, me and you are going to have some fun." He said, as he licked the side of her face. She screamed and with all the effort she had, elbowed him in the stomach and gave him a hard blow to the face. Zabini stumbled back a bit, feeling the blood that was dripping from his nose. Ginny immediately ran over to Draco, punching the Death Eater at his left. The larger man stumbled back as the other let go of blond momentarily to get his wand. Ginny grabbed Draco around the elbows and looked into his eyes.

"I'm sorry," she said quickly in a harsh whisper, his silver eyes locking with her brown ones. He stared at her and all he felt was anger and loss. At this moment, even with three Death Eaters just behind her, their wands pointed directly at them, knowing she had put herself into more danger, he had nothing to say. She lifted a hand and touched his face softly, "I..." but she was then caught around the stomach as Blaise held her close to him.

"GINNY!" he finally said, as Blaise picked her up. "NO! GINNY!"

"DRACO!" she screamed, as she was thrown onto the bed Draco hadn't even noticed was there. He began to fight against his captors, throwing ill aimed punches, all the while watching Blaise Zabini take off his robes and get on top of Ginny.

"You are going to regret that one, sweetie." He said, as he wiped the blood from his face on his robe, throwing them to the floor. Grabbing Ginny's hands, he placed them above her head as he hit her across the face. "This won't hurt… much." There was laughter but her screaming drowned it out. He had to get to Ginny, Draco thought. Yet, as he gave another ill-aimed blow, he got an elbow to the face, and blacked out once again.

Draco woke up to the smell of decay. The floor was cold and hard, and his head swam. He looked up to see bars, and bricks. The blond man then began to cough, blood and the morning's lunch spilled out onto the brick floor. His stomach felt like he had just been turned up side down over and over again. His breathing came out in harsh puffs, as he attempted to get off his stomach. He looked around; he seemed to be in some kind of prison. He started to get up, but a hand stopped him.

"Don't," said the voice; Draco froze as he looked at Ginny. _She was alive,_ he thought as he looked at her behind her own bars. "You will make yourself sick." Draco took in her appearance.

The young woman looked downcast hunched over, sitting in next to the bars, as if she had been watching him. Ginny wasn't wearing what she had been earlier. She was now in a dress, a very revealing one at that. Her short hair was messy and tangled, and her hands were clasped together on her lap. She looked at him, the moon still hidden behind the clouds.

"Are you okay?" she questioned softly, her soft voice like music to his ears. "You don't need anything do you?" he didn't reply. Looking down again, she sighed.

He looked over her area as well. There were only two differences between her cell and his, for one, she had a pillow, and the other, that pillow was covered in vomit and blood. Draco looked at her once more, and noticed the tears falling from her face. He didn't make a move.

"I'm sorry," She whispered, as the moon came from behind the clouds. "I am sorry…so sorry." She looked up at him, and Draco almost gasped.

Her eyes were puffy from tears, her cheeks from the blows, and her lip from the harsh…kisses…from the Death Eaters. Dried blood was on a few cuts on her face, her nose, and lips. The red haired woman had bruises all down her neck and a thin cut starting from behind her ear to below the cut of her dress. She wiped her face, self consciously, and sighed.

"I understand if you don't want to speak to me Draco," her brown eyes met his sliver ones "but I need you." Ginny began to cry. "I can't do this with out you." He was going to ask, do what, but he decided not to. At that moment, he didn't want anything to do with Ginevra Weasley. "Please."

Draco just looked at her, his eyes filled with pain, suspicion, and anger. He saw her wipe the tears that fell fast down her face, as she shook her head. He could feel the humiliation, the pain, and the suffering radiating off her body, but he felt no sympathy. The silver haired man felt nothing for the woman pleading in front of him. As far as he knew, this was a lie too, given to her by the Death Eaters so they could kill him. She had been lying for so long to him, why not once more.

"Draco?" she inquired, sniffing. "Are you okay?" he didn't realize that he had spaced out, and blinked a few times. By then she was closer to the bars and reaching out to touch him, he scooted back. He saw the way her face and hand fell, and inside he smirked. She pulled back, and slid to the other side of the bars. Draco looked at her for a while longer before lying on the cold brick floor. There was silence for a long time, and as Draco began to fall asleep to the cries of Ginny Weasley.

Draco's eyes flew open; some one was calling him.

"Get up! Get up you lazy bastard." He felt something hit his forehead and looked over to Ginny's cell only to find it empty. He panicked. He quickly got to his feet and went closer to her side. She was gone; he began to look into all the other empty cells; only to find she wasn't there either. With a sense of foreboding, thinking that they might have killed her, he began to cry out.

"GINNY!" he screamed, "GINNY!"

"Will you shut your fat mouth!" someone hissed at him, he ignored the scratchy voice and continued to call out. "SHUT UP! Do you want to draw attention to yourself."

"GINNY!" he called once again.

"She's alive," the voice said to him. "They wouldn't kill her." Draco then stopped his calling and looked toward the voice.

"Why?" there was chuckling, he furrowed his brow.

"You're a heavy sleeper." The voice said from the adjacent cell. "You know that?"

Draco squinted to see the face, but came up with nothing. "I've been told."

"That girl," He said, "that girl who is in the cell next to yours."

"I don't know her…" Draco said softly. "Not really."

There was a long silence; Draco took the time to look out the solitary window into the bright blue sky. After a few moments, there was a sigh.

"You were always such an ass," He said, Draco furrowed his brow.

"What?"

"I figured I could break you, but you still wanted to defy me." Draco stared at the other person as they moved toward him, "Even when I gave you three miles a day, plus laundry duty every night." His mouth dropped as Alastor Moody moved into the light, his appearance just as wild and scary as the day Draco met him. He looked at Draco with a raised brow before shaking his head.

"You were always such a little bastard."

"Moody?" Draco asked. "I thought…we thought…"

"What? I was dead?" he asked with astonishment, he shook his head. "What have I always taught you boy…" Draco mouthed with him, "CONSTANT VIGILANCE!"

"We couldn't find your body." The younger man said, "no one could, not even Dumbledore."

Alastor shook his head. "You stupid, stupid boy. Do you honestly think that I, Alastor Moody, who has fought in two wars, could have been captured so easily?"

"Well…you are old…"

"Shut up," He barked. "Dumbledore wanted me here, I let them capture me."

"And they didn't kill you?"

"Ha! These insolent bastards, they were so happy to have caught me, they wanted to keep me as a prize." Moody chortled. "Wankers."

Draco gulped audibly. "How long have you been here?" Moody furrowed his brow.

"Well, I would have to say… 4 months and 3 weeks; to be exact." Draco shook his head.

"How have you survived it?" Moody then let out a laugh, so loud that it echoed though the small prison. The silver-eyed man furrowed his brow.

"You really are an ass, aren't you Malfoy. How have I survived? Survived what? They have kept me here for 4 months, with food every day, and I never get bothered. They wouldn't dare mess with me," he laughed. "They think I can do wandless magic, but it's all just a trick of the eye. " Quickly looking around, Moody went to his wooden leg and pulled it off. With a few shakes, his wand and magical eye fell out of it. "They really are useless mingers without Voldemort. They did a search, but didn't even bother to check my leg." He shook his head as he placed his wand back into his leg. "But it is not their intelligence that I now question."

Draco sighed as he sat on the ground, "what do you mean?"

"I mean you."

"What have I done?" he questioned, as he looked out the window.

"You didn't talk to her." There was silence. "How dare you."

"How dare I?" Draco snapped. "How dare I? How dare she think that I would even want to acknowledge her presence, after what she did to me, and put me through. Would you talk to her! For now…that …girl doesn't exist to me…"

Malfoy looked at Moody who had the most hate filled look he ever gave to him. Draco actually had to look away from his gaze.

"Why?"

"Because…"

"Not you, you stupid boy, I am talking about her."

"I don't know why she did it…she deceived me, and I have no incentive to ever talk to her again."

Moody had the look as if he wanted to talk, but didn't know where to start. He then just shouted. "FOOL!" he breathed in heavily. "Do you know what that girl is doing for you? Do you understand how far she is willing to go for you?"

"I don't care."

"She deceived her family, her friends, you, to go into war! What kind of woman would do that?"

"A selfish one, she left us all in a blink of an eye to…"

"Fulfill her dream! She wanted a chance Malfoy, sounds like someone else I know who left everything behind to be some one they wanted" Draco looked over at Moody and then quickly looked away. "From the first day that I met her, I knew she was something else. If I had known she was going to fall in love with a bastard like you, I would have told her where Potter was a long time before."

"Don't you…"

"Don't tell me don't, you dolt!" scolded Moody, pointing a finger at Malfoy. "Aren't you even a bit curious, Malfoy, as to where she is? Or why she isn't here?" Draco shut his mouth. "Did it ever occur to you that maybe they took her?"

"I thought…" started Draco.

"No, I don't think you did. Maybe you don't realize that Ginevra Weasley is the only thing keeping you alive."

"What do you mean…"

"What I mean is that she is sacrificing everything she has, to make sure they do not kill you."

"But, Ginny doesn't have anything," Argued the younger man. "She has nothing to offer them."

Alastor then got a serious look on his face. "With these kinds of men, they only want one thing from a pureblood girl." Draco's heart fell. "And she as long as she goes willingly, you stay alive." He shook his head. "But when I saw them take her away, I knew…that girl is already dead."


	13. Chapter 13

_They say you can close your eyes to reality, but not to memories…_

Breathing was no longer possible. There was no air to breathe…no reason to breathe. If the purpose of staying alive was to no longer live, then why bother. Nothing mattered, not the stench of decay, or the icy cold wind. Not the mutterings of ones gone crazed, or the birds flying out a solitary window. The earth moved on, but in side…everything was still.

* * *

Draco stared out the small window for Merlin only knew how long. He saw many suns and moons, stars and gray skies. There were times when he felt as if there was nothing outside, but the sky. That the earth had turned into a vast desert since his incarceration. He smelled, he was hungry, he felt dirty, but most of all, he ached.

For days he would lay on a ground that smelled of decay and vomit. His mind would swim and his eyes would water from staring at the same spot on the ceiling for hours and hours on end. There would be idle chatter, or yelling, between him and Moody. Whether it was about the importance of being stuck in a small prison, or the fact that Draco was an idiot, there was always something to talk about. Draco sometimes wouldn't even realize he was asleep until Moody would wake him up with one of his theories again: _You know, I could have sworn there was a loose brick; you're small enough to fit in it_…

Then there was mealtime. Oh, he hated it when the Death Eaters came and shoved food at them. How they would ridicule him as he ate his food hungrily. It was alright however, some soup and a piece of bread, no drink. Then again, he wouldn't complain and swallow everything with out chewing. Yet, after all the sunsets, and sunrises that went by, he missed Ginny the most.

He would stare at the redhead as she slept. That was the only time he could get himself to look at her. Then again, he hardly ever saw her. She would disappear when the sun would go down and wouldn't be back for many more. Then, when it was time to wake up after the fourth or fifth sunrise, there she was, lying in her cell, facing the other direction. That's when he would stare at her. For as long as he could, he would soak Ginny in, even though he never saw her face. He knew she was beautiful, and as long as she was there, and not gone with the Death Eaters he was ok, and he knew she was too.

Draco stared at her head. Her hair was so long now, almost to her shoulders. It really made Draco think how long they had been there. Then his eyes would look at her body. She was so ridged when she slept, as if she was constantly afraid someone was near her. Her dress ripped and torn all over, leaving parts of her body exposed; her neck was red with bleeding scratches. It those moments Draco wished he could hold her. Yet, if she ever woke up, he would turn his back, not trusting himself to look at her.

It was a mixture of love, anger, and betrayal in his eyes as he stared at her. He knew that she felt like she had to do it, but she didn't. Draco's promise all those months ago was complete and utter bullocks. He loved her more than anything in the world; a war wasn't going to break them. It didn't the first time, it wasn't supposed to this time. The blond remembers the long harsh months searching for Ginny. How he would go from town to town, asking every single one of his contacts if they had seen her. Draco wouldn't sleep for days at a time, because searching for Ginny was all he cared about. The only reason he stopped was because Molly had begged him. That's it. He didn't care for Dumbledore's warnings, or Potter's bitching. If Molly hadn't shown up at his tavern door, with tears in her eyes, he would have kept on looking.

Ginny was always right there…all the time. She watched him as he yelled at his men, got dirty, and was mess. She was there as his old self began to resurface, the harsh cold one that cared for nothing and no one. How he would curse, hate, and be the way that he promised he would never go back to. With Ginny at his side, the old Draco was dead.

Yet, what got to Draco most, out of everything else, was that she was the one he hated most…and she took it. Everything he had done to Casey, it was being done to the woman he loved. When he picked on Casey, he was picking on Ginny. When he thought he was hitting Casey, he was hitting Ginny. That woman at the pub… Draco had done everything wrong in front of her, everything. She had seen him at his very worst, the lowest time in Draco's life, and yet she was still giving her life for him.

He loved her. He truly did. Yet, his pride was deeply wounded, and when a Malfoy is wounded, that is it. Draco can't look at her, knowing the truth now. As hard as he tried, all he saw was a liar and betrayer. He saw her intertwined with that filth Colin Creevey, touching him in ways she had reserved only for Draco. He could feel his love draining for her, and he wanted it to stop. He wanted to love her, if Ginny was ever gone, he could never love again. He will never love again.

* * *

Draco stared blankly at Ginny's cell, wishing that it wasn't empty. He didn't know how late it was; he usually didn't stay awake during the night. Yet this night, Draco had no means of doing so.

He felt dirty. He felt as if he should be doing more than sitting there. Malfoy's weren't meant for sitting, they were men of action; he made things happen. Then again, what good was a Malfoy to anyone? So, Draco sat, staring at an empty cell, wishing it was him who was being torture in ways that no one dare speak of. He wished it was he who had an empty cell, not Ginny.

The sound of screaming resounded though the cells. Draco sat up like an awaiting dog and looked franticly around. It was Ginny. Getting up, he ran to the front of his cell, knuckles going white as he gripped the bars. He closed his eyes and listened. She was crying, she was screaming, there was laughter…she was aching. His mind began melt as it went on, the sound of his love being tortured. Draco then fell to his knees in exhaustion. He couldn't do it; he couldn't let her get hurt. He loved her! Yet there he was, sitting in a cell, being fed everyday, while she was tortured and beaten for his sins.

* * *

Moody sat propped up against his cell wall. He had to grin at the sound of it all, "Alastor Moody's cell wall." Ha! Like any one could honestly capture _The_ Alastor Moody. Yet, there he was, doing Albus a favor, sitting on a wall, across from the stupidest man in the world. Moody let his one eye stare at the sleeping form of Draco Malfoy. He looked at him for a long time, and sneered.

What pride, what foolishness, what ignorance that boy had. If it were Moody in his position, he would fall on his knees in front of that girl. Moody saw how Draco stared at her when she was sleeping, how his eyes would water and his face grew pale as he saw what kind of conditions the Death Eaters left her in. Malfoy was an idiot, and he was glad he was suffering for it.

The Malfoy men were all the same. Their pride is what dominates every other emotion, or lack there of. They think they can control everyone, and when things don't go their way, they turn their backs on it. Moody had seen three generations of Malfoy's go by, and none of them had changed one bit.

Yet this Malfoy, this supposed "different", he was no better, but worse. Who was he to deny such a woman? Who was he to deny any one? Moody remembers when Malfoy had been in Auror training, how much he used to get picked on. Every one would pull pranks on him and taunt him. Not to mention the millions of times he was beat up after curfew. Yet, after all that, when performing his tasks, he was the best, and every one including him knew it.

Moody just shook his head. What could he expect from the son of Lucius Malfoy? He had always had a personal distaste for the boy; too much pride didn't leave one to be too social. Yet, the day Moody had seen Draco and Ginevra together for the first time, he went slack jawed. Malfoy had the look of pure adoration for this young girl. Now, Moody wasn't your ordinary man, he cared little for romance, or feelings in general. But seeing the cold hearted Malfoy acting so gentle towards any one, had to have been the only time he was proud of him.

The sound of a door slamming caught Moody's attention. Looking around he saw three men dragging Ginevra. They took her to the front of her cell, and opened it, throwing her harshly to the ground. Moody saw her head hit the floor, but she made no sound. The red head just lay there, breathing heavily. His watery blue eyes looked up to the three men watching her.

"What are you going to do?" asked one; the man in the middle shook his head.

"That's none of your concern."

"Aw Creevey, you're not going to fuck her in her cell, are you?"

"And if I am?" he growled back. "What is it to you?"

"You're crazy!" came the other one. "Zabini will kill you, you know his rules…"

"I don't give a shit about what that fuck says." Creevey growled. "Now get out of here."

One of the Death Eaters put a hand on his shoulder. "C'mon Creevey, can we at least watch." There was silence, before Creevey yelled. "GET OUT!" the men flinched and began walking away muttering.

"Bloody Bint…"

Moody watched as Creevey looked at Ginevra, lying on the floor, her body shaking. He stood like that for a long while, just standing outside her cell, his blue eyes clouded over as he stared at her. Ginevra didn't move, just lied on the cold floor, her face covered by her hair. Her breathing was quick and hard, but she made no sound. The only reason one could tell she was alive was by the movement of her back. Slowly, Creevey walked into her cell and stood over her.

The girl then began to tremble, Moody could see her hands clench, readying herself for what was to come. There then came a sob and the redhead looked up. Ginevra began to cry, looking at Creevey with pure fear in her eyes. Shaking her head, she dragged her body across her cell, tear after tear falling down her dirty face. She gave no words, just let her tears fall silently.

"Ginny," Creevey said sternly. Moody made a move to grab his wand from his leg. He watched as she stared at him, silent and stony. Her breath was ragged and she looked delirious. Creevey stepped closer to her, she had her back pressed against the stone wall, looking up at him with pure hate and rage. She shook her head, getting her red hair in her face.

"Stand up," He ordered her through gritted teeth. The redhead sniffed. "STAND UP!" He yelled. The tears continued, as Ginevra shakily pushed herself off the ground. Standing in front of him, she held her head high and let the tears fall off her face, onto the floor.

Creevey took a step closer to her, as she pushed her body against the cell wall. He began to stare at her again, his blue eyes looking at her unwavering. All that could be heard was the girl's heavy breathing; it grew more and more harsh as Creevey took a step closer. Her tears were of disgust and disgrace, as she stood in front of someone she thought to be her confidant, her friend; yet ended up being a betrayer. Her hands stayed at her side as he took one more step closer, she took a deep breath.

His hand reached out to her, and with out even touching her she flinched.

"Ginny," He said shakily. "Oh Merlin, Ginny." Creevey then broke down in tears. Moody watched as Ginevra look at him in wonder, her brown eyes staring as he fell to his knees. Tears still leaking down her face, she watched him with caution.

He had his hands covering his face, his body racking with tears. He scooted closer to her and wrapped his arms tightly around her, digging his face into her stomach. Ginevra's lip trembled as she stared down at him; his words coming out muffled. Moody just lay there watching as Creevey begged her for forgiveness. Pleading with her to love him for who he was not the man before her. Her tears came faster and faster with each declaration of his unwavering love.

"I can't live without you," he said through sobs, she took a shaky intake of breath and looked at Draco's cell. Her eyes watching his sleeping form. "I…"

"Get off me." she breathed softly; more tears fell down her face.

"I can get you out of here." He said, looking up at her with eager eyes.

"Don't touch me."

"Ginny…" he nodded his head, "I can save you."

"I don't need you," she whispered, "I don't need _you_ to save me." she just kept her eyes on the other blond.

"Yes you do!" Creevey cried, taking her hands in his. "You don't have to do this! I love you…so much…I will do anything for you." There was a long silence, her eyes never leaving Malfoy, and his never leaving her face; their bodies trembling with fear and humiliation. Slowly, Ginevra shook her head

"You don't know what love is…"

"I…"

"Death Eaters," She bit at him, he blinked. "Death Eaters don't know how to love." She, with whatever energy she had, pushed him off her. She went over to Draco's side of the cell, and took the bars in her hands, staring at him.

"He has done nothing to save you." he pleaded. "I can save you…I…"

"I don't love you," the girl said softly. "What I do is not for myself…"

"You don't have to do it any more!" he cried. "You don't have to let those men…"

"You are one of those men." She breathed. "I do what I do because some things are worth sacrificing, some things are worth pain…my love for Draco is worth all the pain in the world." Brown eyes met his. "You are not worth a moment of my time."

Moody watched as Creevey's face went from fallen to as if some one had ripped his heart out. The pain that flashed in his features, the hints of innocent love shining as he looked at her. Ginevra had been his heart's desires for so long, too long in fact. And in watching Creevey, Moody could tell that the man would never be the same. His blue eyes staring longingly at her as she looked at Draco. Slowly he stood up, a new idea dancing in his head. The blue eyed man went and stood behind her, wrapping his arms around her.

"I love you."

"I don't love you." she whispered softly. "I love Draco," He hugged tighter, "because I wouldn't give a second glance to save you." Even as tears fell down his face, he kissed her neck softly.

"You will see." He came softly. "You will see how much I love you." And with another kiss, he left the cell, slamming it hard behind him.

Moody lay still on the floor watching her for a while longer. Her brown eyes staring at the blond, tears falling down her dirty face. Her knuckles going white as she gripped the bar that kept her from her love. Soon, she fell to her knees and vomited all over the floor. Coughs and wheezes racking her body. Moody only turned away, leaving the girl to deal with her own unreciprocated love.

Ginny lay on the bed panting. Her body trembling as the last Death Eater rolled off her. Her mind was blank; the only thing she knew was pain. Whenever she lay in their bed she went catatonic, for every time was as traumatic as the last. Ginny didn't feel the blood flowing down her face, the bruises forming on her body, or the throbbing between her legs.

Every time a Death Eater would take her, it was as if she her mind shut off. She would feel them yes, but her mind didn't register, or more like would not want to register what was actually happening to her. Scenes would then being to flash in her mind. Hogwarts, Northumberland country, her home, little towns she had seen, and little places she had eaten at. Her mind would then be at peace, no matter how much the Death Eater hit her, or scratched her, or yelled at her to do awful things. Her body would react, because it had to; her mind wouldn't let her react, because it knew she couldn't take it.

So as Ginny lay there, her mind letting her feel the pain running though her body, she listened. They were congratulating the last man for his "splendid performance." There was excited chatter all through out the room. News had apparently been delivered, and now the men were planning an event. Ginny cared nothing for their business, as long as they stayed away from her. She slowly covered her exposed body with sheets on the bed, and tried to forget about the pain.

"Gentlemen," Came the voice of that bastard, Zabini. "What you have heard is true! And the planning is already underway." There was a loud cheer, as the men began to talk of parities, raids, drinking, and other activities that Death Eaters found enjoyable.

"Is there a set date?" asked one, Zabini nodded.

"A fortnight from tonight."

"Will there be a welcome party?" asked another, the dark skinned man laughed.

"Are you bloody kidding?" There was silence. "Bloody believe there will be one, you slag," laughter ensued, "Now, we have lots to do, so get to it." The men then began to leave the room, laughing and talking merrily.

Ginny's brow furrowed. What was so important that these mingers wanted to have a party for? There were so many possibilities all of which she didn't want to think of now. She would have to tell Moody when she got back to her cell. She breathed in heavily and thought of Draco, he would be sleeping by the time she got back. However, her thoughts went south when weight was added to the bed. Whoever it was straddled her, and when she opened her eyes the dirty face of Blaise was staring down at her.

"Hello there," He cooed, tracing her lips with his finger. She looked away. "Did you have fun with good 'ol Vincent?" he inquired, laughing a bit. "I've never seen that sod sweat so badly." He smiled when Ginny grimaced. "You know love, you should be more grateful to us. We've kept our end of the bargain by not touching that little piece of shit, or the old man. Also, none of have the means of killing you, which doesn't happen often." He smiled. "Don't I get at least a cheers?"

"Cheers," She said softly, feeling her body ache with his weight on her. Blaise smiled and kissed her neck, slowly making his way down the valley of her breast. She turned her head, to see that, for once, there was no one in the room watching them. Ginny felt his slimy tongue make its way back up her chest and slip into her mouth. With a sigh, Blaise turned away.

"You know," he said, as he began taking off his shirt. "This will be our last time together." Ginny looked up in alarm. "Oh, don't be saddened love," he cooed. "You won't die." He licked her neck. "It's just, the boys and I thought of something great for the welcome party." Zabini wiped a few stray hairs that were matted to her forehead, "a present."

"Present?" she whispered, almost too afraid to ask, he nodded.

"We thought that you, my lovely Ginevra, would be an excellent welcoming gift for our master's arrival." Ginny's heart nearly stopped. "Master Lucius always liked his women young."


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

.

They say patience is the virtue of the warrior…

.

Moody stared at Ginevra questioningly. It had been a quite a few days since she had last disappeared, and she hadn't left. The Death Eaters hadn't come to get her once, which Moody found quite disturbing. The day she did get back however, she looked at him with a look of utter despair and fell on the floor, falling into a deep sleep. She hadn't woken up since. The two men had thought of trying to see if she was still alive, but her night thrashings was enough evidence for him and the boy.

However, that still did not answer the question of why she was there. He had never seen the girl for this long of a period. What had it been, 5…possibly 7 days since her arrival. Seven days of sleep was thought to be enough for any person, however, Ginevra wasn't just any person. Never the less, Moody felt as if something was happening in the manor. The Death Eaters had been too quite, and a quite Death Eater was always a dangerous one. Moody ruffled his gray hair in question, what was going on?

.

Drowsy eyes woke up to the sound of rustling. Ginny's eyes darted back and forth from where she was. When ever she woke up, she had no time to sit and reflect on what had happened, Ginny knew that when it was time to wake up, that it was time for another Death Eater. She sat up quickly, not finding herself in her cell or in her all too familiar blood red room.

Looking around the room, Ginny began to panic. She had never been here before; she had never been in any other room. It was the finely furnished room, decorated lavishly with antiques and gothic paintings. The furniture was of the richest Mahogany Ginny had ever seen, deep brown, almost red in color. A large fire was burning in the enormous fireplace, giving the room a warm glow. Ginny looked down to see herself lying in a soft, deep green comforter, better than the red silk she usually "slept" in. Touching the lining on the bed, she furrowed her brow. What in Merlin's name was going on?

Ginny's head turned to the sound of the door opening. The door hidden on the side of her bed came out, and a young woman entered, carrying a bowl of water. She looked at Ginny icily and sighed.

"Good afternoon miss." She said curtly, setting the porcelain bowl on the table next to the bed. The blonde went back into the bathroom and came out with a few towels. Ginny stared at the young woman, where did she know her. "Please, get up." She asked softly. Ginny slowly pulled off the covers and carefully stood up. She looked down to see herself in a soft nightgown, one like she had as a young girl at the Burrow. She watched as the girl nodded and sighed.

"Come with me to the bath miss." She took the porcelain bowl and lead Ginny into the restroom.

If Ginny thought that the room was elaborate, she was way off. The bathroom was positively gorgeous, and not to mention huge. The large tub sitting in the middle of tub was filled with pink bubbles. The bathroom was covered in dragons and other mystical creatures, moving slowly on the wall. Ginny turned her head around like a girl in a candy store to finally face the mirror.

The young red head almost didn't recognize herself. Her hair was now to her shoulders, not even red any more. Her face was gaunt and pale, her cheekbones protruding from her face. Her once brown eyes were now a pale and lifeless; the sparkle that they once held was gone.

"Take off your clothes miss." Ginny covered her body protectively. "Its ok Miss, they won't come." Ginny looked into the girl's eyes and she almost stepped back. The young woman now helping her was Pansy Parkinson, the once beauty queen of Hogwarts. Her face was pale; not the once bright pink it once was. Her flawless face was now marred with scars. Pansy's once fine blonde hair was stringy and dirty. Her blue eyes looked up to Ginny as she tossed her dress on the floor, trying to hold gasp in. Yet Ginny couldn't hold her own.

Her mouth fell open, and her eyes stung when she saw what had happened her body. There was not one area on her stomach or chest that wasn't covered in a purple bruise. Not only that but her body had scar after scar, some still bleeding, from her chest to her ankles. Tears fell down her face as she looked at her once smooth body. It was used…she was used.

"Don't cry." Pansy said, as she warmed the bath. "Don't let them see you cry." Ginny looked to the other girl and shook her head.

"But they already have."

Pansy shook her head as she helped Ginny into the tub. Slowly easing her body into the steaming hot water, Ginny relaxed. Her body almost had a spasm for Ginny couldn't remember the last time she was able to relax. Her life since…since…when ever she came here, had been filled with unending nights and tearful mornings. Where she would wake up with a drug in her system or a bruise on her face. Where her only place of comfort was on a stone floor in a prison that smelled of decay. Where the only man she loved ignored her, and the wisest man you once knew had gone mad. Ginny didn't remember what it felt like to be _relaxed_… Ginny didn't even know how to feel any more.

"They already know you care about Draco." Pansy said bitterly. "They know your weakness. But don't let them know that they can hurt you any other way." Ginny looked into the sudsy water as Pansy washed her neck softly.

"Is that what you did?" the red head asked after a few moments of silence. "Were you found out?" Pansy only cleared her throat and continued washing Ginny.

Ginny almost wanted to cry; she hadn't felt this nice in a long time. Ginny knew it sounded odd, but some one taking such care brought tears to her eyes, even some like Pansy. Ginny remembers when she was dating Harry, and the evil looks she would throw at her. The way the blonde would taunt Ginny, calling her ugly, fat, and a Mudblood lover. They were never friends, and never would be. Yet now, Ginny had never felt such respect for some one. For something they were told to do, to be gentle.

Pansy kept quite as she washed each and every one of Ginny's scars. The young red head never lifted her head, she was so ashamed. Ginny saw the pity deep with in Pansy's eyes as she cleaned her. Yet, as Ginny looked a bit harder, maybe it wasn't pity she was feeling, but empathy.

"Can you get up Miss?" she asked formally. The young woman looked at her hands and shook her head. Her body was too weak to do anything. Pansy only nodded and grabbed a towel; wrapping it around Ginny, she slowly helped her to her feet and out of the tub, all the while not wetting the fluffy towel.

The young blonde woman led Ginny over to the other side of the bathroom, and sat her down at a vanity set. She then went over to the cupboard and began taking out potion bottle after potion bottle, setting them all one a small tray. After a few minutes, and a few dozen bottles, she went over to Ginny and knelt in front of her.

"Take off your towel." The brown-eyed woman looked at her skeptically, "You will have to trust me miss, I need to heal your wounds." Ginny sighed, and slipped the towel off her shoulders; leaving her exposed.

Pansy said nothing as she began mixing the potions. After a few moments, the potion turned into a soft pink; dipping a small towel into the concoction, Pansy began cleaning Ginny's cuts. The moment the rag touched and open wound Ginny regretted it. It stung like fire against her skin, and she cried out. Pansy only held Ginny down, all the while saying trying to calm her down. It felt like her whole back was in flamed as she touched the rag to each of the scars.

"Its ok." Came Pansy after Ginny had clamed. "I wont let them scar you." the red head grimaced and breathed in deeply.

"They already have."

.

By the time Pansy was done with each and every wound, Ginny was exhausted. Yet, when Pansy helped her to a mirror, she was almost glad she had gone through that pain. In front of her, staring back was a girl she used to know. A girl who was prim, proper, and flawless. Ginny's red hair was soft and her true Weasley color shinning. Her face was smooth, with out a trace of a bruise or a cut. Her small body was once again with out a scar; it was as if she had never been touched by a death eater. But she had.

Ginny's body may have been repaired, but her eyes gave it all away. Looking deep into her brown eyes, she saw pain, disgrace, anger, betrayal, suffering, and loss. Ginny didn't even recognize her self any more. Her innocence, and not her Virginal innocence, but her innocence to life had all be take brutally away. She would never get that back, she would never go back to carefree Ginny, and where the only thing she had to worry about was Draco. Ginny Weasley would never be the same.

"Here." Said Pansy, slipping a sleeping robe over her head. The blonde woman led her over to the bed and tucked her in. As Pansy stood up, she sighed. "Yes." She said softly.

"Yes what?" inquired Ginny.

"I was found out." Pansy took a few steps away from the bed. "They found out that I was in love with…" she cleared her throat. "That I was in love, and they used it against me. They threatened to kill him if I didn't do what they said. I was used, just like you, and after they were done, they turned me into a slave. I have no freedom, I have no life, not even my own family cares about what happens to me, as long as their perjury of the Wizarding world is fulfilled." Pansy wiped her blue eyes. "And they killed the man I loved, he was dead when the firs took me, and kept me anyway." She shook her head. "I feel for you Ginevra." The blonde said as she began walking towards the door.

"Pansy?" called Ginny. "Why am I here?" she inquired, Pansy held her head high and sighed. "I had to clean you up." She opened the door. "Master Lucious will be here in the morning." 

.

They took her, again. She was brought in, and she slept for 6 straight days. On the 7th day he woke up to find her cell once again empty. Draco couldn't take it, where was she! Another 9 days had passed, and still she had not been seen, the blonde wished with all the energy that he could see her. Ginny.

He had seen her the day she was brought back to her cell. He had pretended to be asleep as the Death Eater's dragged her body in. It was as if her body was functioning, but her mind didn't want to work. They left her standing in her cell, and when they left, she collapsed. Moody had tried to wake her up, but she didn't. Draco had held his breath, praying that she wasn't dead, praying to some God above that he will see his Ginny again. For 2 days Alastor and he watched her like a hawk, waiting for any sign of life. And finally, on the 3rd night, she began having her night terrors, and that was all the evidence they needed. Ginny was alive; Draco would be able to hold her again. 

Yet that didn't happen, for days she slept, and he watched her. He watched her like he always did. He took in every part of her he could, which was his Ginny. The grimy, dirty, bruised, broken, reeking, woman he loved so dearly. Draco had sat watching her almost in a daze. He didn't eat, he didn't sleep, and he only started at her, as if she were a precious stone. He was looking at the woman he loved, but could do nothing for. She was perfect, Ginevra Weasley, soon to be Malfoy, was perfect. That's all he knew.

Then they took her away again. Draco almost went crazy when she wasn't lying her in cell. Her couldn't watch her body moving with each breath she took. He cried and cried, they took her away, and Draco didn't know where. He felt himself slowly going mad in his cell. The smell was getting to him; the walls were constantly closing in on him. The sound of Moody from across his cell was infuriating. The blonde cared nothing for the old man, he wasn't Ginny, he wasn't Gin.

.

Draco sat in his cell, with a very sullen expression on his face. His silver eyes moved over to Moody who was standing up, looking out the window. He had been like that for hours now, and hadn't bothered to tell Draco what he was doing; standing there like a dolt. Draco's frustration got the better of him, and he stood up quickly, facing Alastor.

"What in bloody hell are you doing?" he growled, Moody didn't answer him for a long time. "Old man!" Draco cried like a child, Moody shushed him, "Don't shush me."

"Quite boy!" he hissed at him. "Can't you see I am in the middle of something!" He sighed and kept looking out the window.

"In the middle of something?" cried Draco. "You've been at that bloody window for hours now…what do you mean…"

"Shh." He barked, as he sat back down. "Its time." The blonde looked at him as if he had gone mad as the old man slowly slid to the floor; resuming his former sleeping position.

"I…" but before he could finish, the door to the prison was opened, and three Death Eaters walked in. Draco pushed himself to the back of his cell, and watched the three men. They were a lot stiffer than before, their demeanor rigid and quite. His lip curled as they stopped in front of his cell and faced him.

"Can I help you?" he spat, they didn't respond, only stood there like boards. Draco sniggered, "Bloody Wankers, if all your going to do is fucking stare at me, then I suggest you fuck…"

"Tsk tsk tsk." Came a voice from behind them, the blonde man rolled his eyes.

"Don't tsk me you bint." There was a bit of laughter. "Where is she!" he asked, pointing at Ginny's cell. "Where did you take her!" his body began to shake with rage as the laughter continued. "I swear on my mother's grave, if you fucking slags don't tell me where the fuck she is I will cut your bloody...

"My dear boy, I thought I taught you better manners." Draco immediately stopped when he heard that voice. His eyes went wide and his mouth dropped, Draco hated that voice. The Death Eaters parted slowly and his father stepped forward, snigger on his face. Draco trembled as he looked at his father. It was as if time stopped all together as the two looked at each other.

His …father… no longer looked like the man Draco once knew. Lucious Malfoy was clad in a large black robe, with the mark of Voldemort embroider on the front. His blonde hair was longer than it ever was, hanging loosely, covering the sides of his face slightly. His face was pale and thin, nose pointed, his thin lips a pale purple. Of all the things that had changed, the one that frightened Draco the most were his eyes. Instead of the steely silver, much like Draco's, they were a bright gleaming red, much like Voldemort's used to be. Draco was 6ft away from his father by now, and yet he could feel the pure dark magic radiating from his body. His father had been over taken by the magic of his new power.

"What is this?" he asked, as he put out his hand and the door to Draco's door flew opened. "Do you not wish to greet your father?" He then held out his arms, as if he wanted Draco to embrace him. Draco took another step back, pressing his back to the wall. "Is that a no?" he inquired. "Well, I suppose you are much too old for hugs…" he stepped closer. "How about a hand shake?"

Draco looked at his out stretched hand, and grimaced at its appearance. His hand was white as snow; long fingers ended with sharp nails. He looked at his father, whose red eyes gleamed at him. He swallowed uneasily, and slowly held out his hand. When Lucious grabbed his hand, Draco fell to his knees, his body filling with a surge of Dark magic. As Draco tried to let go of his hand; his father kept a firm grasp, grinning as Draco writhed in pain. After what felt like an eternity, his father let him go, and laughed maliciously.

"So weak." He said, as he looked down at him, the moonlight giving his face a sick glow. Draco looked up at him, and groaned. "I thought I raised a stronger heir, but it is obvious you are still worthless." Lucious kicked Draco in the stomach. "You failed Me.," he said calmly, kicking him again. "You betrayed Me." he then bent down, and grabbed Draco's hair in his fist. "So I will take the only thing I can." He yanked his head back further, watching as Draco's eyes rolled into the back of his head. "Your little slut." And throwing his head back onto the stone floor, with Draco falling into unconsciousness.

.

Draco sat in the very corner of his cell, his body shaking. He breathed in heavily, his body aching with each and every breath. His eyes traveled around his cell, to settle on a cup of water sitting in front of him. An aching hand reached out and grasped it tightly, and slowly picked it up. His limbs wouldn't stay still; he was shaking so violently, that when the cup reached his lips, half the contents was on the floor. He brought it to his lips, and tipped the cup back, all the while trying to steady his arm. Tipping it back, he let the water slip into his mouth, having some of it spill out of his mouth and onto his clothing. He tried swallowing but a pain in his throat came over him, and he immediately coughed out. He dropped the cup and leaned back onto his cell wall, feeling more miserable than before.

When his father had come, exactly 5 days ago, he had left in Draco a bit of dark magic. Now, this dark magic didn't do just anything, it attacked his body. The blonde could actually feel the magic moving though his veins, in his blood, and all through his body. IT would curse through his body like a poison, and attack any part of his body he tried to move. Whether it was his arm, leg, or even his eyes the dark magic would attack it, making it impossible to do anything.

As the blonde sat in his cell, he brooded. His father, that damned bastard, did this to him; and Draco could do anything about it. Of course he couldn't because Draco was useless. He wasn't worth anything to anybody. Moody was gone, taken by Death Eaters not two days ago, and hadn't been seen since. Ginny was…well… Draco tried not to think about Ginny. There fore, he was left in the cell, waiting for the inevitable, his demise.

Draco had actually been contemplating Death. His enclosure and loneliness was beginning to drive him mad; making him think of things he never used to. He thought of his Hogwarts Days, of Professor Snape, Molly Weasley and the Burrow. He thought of his friends, of Potter, Albus Dumbledore and his mother. The silver eyed man once thought he had it all, and now, sitting in his cell, he knew his life meant nothing. Just another drop in the pond, he realized that no one cared for him; that some God above left him in this cell, to see how worthless he really was. That in the end, a Malfoy was no good to any one. He couldn't even help the woman he loves, how could he do anything for any one else.

The man jerked as the dark magic hit his head. It stung like fire behind his eyes, and he groaned with pain. Merlin the pain; that's all he knew. The Magic made him see stars, and his mind went blank. All he knew was the horror of life; and as he held his head in his hands, he thought of Ginny. The pain she must have felt…feels… being here. How they use her, how they touch her, how they make her do things no one should feel. How this pain he was feeling was nothing compared to what she must go through. Damn his Father, damn this War, Damn Potter, but most of all…damn him.

The sound of squeaking caught Draco's attention as he blinked though the pain. The sound of footsteps became louder and louder. Some one was coming, some one was talking. Draco pushed his head up, and blinked a few times, there were voices.

"Fucking bint." Some one grumbled.

"What do you think 'appened?" asked another.

"Dunno, but Master isn't happy." There was the sound of skin against skin. "See, nothing!"

"What are the gunna do?" the voices were louder.

"Probably kill 'em if nothing changes." 

Draco looked up to see two men carrying some one. His hear almost jumped out of his throat, GINNY! They were walking Ginny back to her cell. His eyes were still a bit hazy, but he could see them leading her to her cell. He almost wanted to jump up and hug her, she was ok! His Ginny was alive. As his vision cleared, and the Death Eaters got closer, he began to push himself up. They were still talking…

"Too bad, too." The other started. "She is the most fit thing I ever saw." Silver eyes flared as the masked bastard touched her. "Are you sure there's nothin' we can do?"

"No. Master says just leave her in here, he'd take care of her." The other took Ginny in his arms and kissed her roughly on the lips. Draco, leaning against the wall, felt heat rising to his face. How dare they touch her.

"HEY!" he shouted, with a slight slur after his words. "HEY! Don't you bloody touch her!"

"Belt up, Wanker." Shouted the other, who was watching the whole thing. "Keep your mouth shut, or else."

"DON'T TOUCH HER!" growled Draco, watching as the other death eater looked at Ginny quizzically.

"Nothing." He breathed, pulling her hair back.

"STOP THAT!"

"No wonder Master threw her back."

The other Death Eater turned away from Draco to look at Ginny. "Master says if nothing happens in 3 days, to just kill her." Draco began shouting millions of profanities at the Men as the put Ginny in her cell. They just looked at her, shaking their heads, and locked the cell. Draco kept yelling at the men until a sharp pain was in the back of his throat. He clutched his neck, and fell to his knees, as it felt as if his lungs were closing. He coughed harshly, until he could feel the magic begin to move to another part of his body. He cleared his throat and stood up, he had to talk to Ginny.

He slowly made his way toward her, his body still trembling violently. He grasped the bars and looked at her. Squinting his eyes, he studied her; there was something wrong. She had cuts and bruises all on her face, neck, and arms. Her lips were drizzling blood, and her face and a large purple bruise on her cheek. Her neck, not only scared with cuts, had many small hickeys. Draco's knuckles went white as he looked at his Ginerva, his Ginny.

"Ginny?" he said softly, the first time he had said her name since his incarceration. "Gin?" she didn't respond, only kept her eyes forward. "Love?" Her furrowed his brow, she wasn't responding. Her once sparkling brown eyes were dead; instead a faded brown stood in their place. Her mouth was hanging open slightly, letting blood and spit slowly trickle out. "Ginerva?" he asked again, "are you ok?" she didn't respond; only kept her eyes forward.

Draco's lip trembled with fear, and his eyes stung with tears. Something was very wrong with Ginny. She wasn't responding to him, he tried calling her again, only yelled, and still nothing. AS he looked at her, the blonde thought of one person, his father. His father must have done something to her, put her under spell, hurt her, said something to her that would make her go…catatonic. Draco felt moisture on his face, and realized he was crying. He was crying for Ginny, he was crying for his pain, he was crying for his uselessness. He failed her; he had failed the only thing that mattered to him.  
  
**.**  
  
Nearly two days had passed, and nothing had changed. The death Eaters had come that morning and the morning before to check on Ginny's state. They'd stand there and do things to her, all the while taunting Draco. They would kiss her, touch her, and basically do things that Draco never dreamt of doing. He'd sit there; not able to do anything because of the magic that would hit his legs every time he tried to stand. So, while writhing in pain, the Death Eaters would touch his Ginny.

He wanted to cry, every moment of every day for her. He wanted to take her in his arms and make everything go away. TO kiss her and tell her that things will be better tomorrow. Draco wanted to take her back to the Burrow and turn her into Ginerva Malfoy. Draco tried his best to get her attention, but nothing helped. Where Ginny was, she was staying there; and Draco was afraid he'd never get his Ginny back. 

On the morning of the third day, Draco didn't get one ounce of sleep. He was so afraid that if he fell asleep, a Death Eater would come and take Ginny away, and he'd never see her again. So, he just watched her as she sat propped up against one of the walls; saliva sliding down her face. The man sniffed a bit and sighed.

"Ginny." He said, sliding over to her bars. He steadied his hand, and pushed some of his grimy blonde hair out of his face. "Love?" he asked. "What's wrong?" She kept looking out. "Honey, please talk to me." He sniffed. "You have to come back to me Ginny." He pleaded, "I won't let you leave me Ginny, we have to get married, remember?" He let a tear fall. "And all the kids, remember? 3 boys and a girl, and we would live in Yorkshire, and have lots of land, just like the Burrow." He laughed, "well, maybe not _just_ like the Burrow. And we would sit and watch our kids grow up, and when they went to Hogwarts, we'd travel, and make love all day long." He wiped his eyes. "Do you remember Gin?" the red head hadn't changed. "Ginny, please don't leave me alone, I wont make it with out you." Draco let out a sob. "You are the only thing keeping me alive… please Ginny…pl…"

There was a loud boom coming from in side the mansion. Draco looked up, wiping his eyes furiously. There was one more boom, before he felt the entire floor shake. He looked over at Ginny, who remained unchanged, and stood up. After a few moments of listening, Draco furrowed his brow, it seemed as if nothing had even happened. He looked towards the door of the prison and waited, and still nothing happened. Sighing, he looked back to Ginny, and slid to the ground once more.

"We will get out, love." He told her, nodding his head. "I will make sure of it." he smiled at her, as she blinked. Draco almost stopped breathing…she blinked.

All of a sudden, the door to the prison burst open, and Lucious along with Alastor Moody ran into the prison. They stopped in front of Draco's cell and moody quickly opened it with a simple "_Alohomora"_ spell. Draco stood up and looked at them wild-eyed, Moody walked in and took a deep breath.

"C'mon, we are getting out of here." Draco narrowed his eyes.

"No." he said slowly, Moody rolled his eyes.

"What do you mean _no_?"

"I don't trust either of you." he spat, looking at his father looking at Ginny. Moody sighed.

"Don't be insolent boy, it's us."

"Who's us?" he growled.

"Get off your high horse Malfoy." Spat his father, only in the voice of Colin Creevey. Draco furrowed his brow. "Its called Polyjuice you dolt, now get up, we need to get out of here." The blonde was still skeptical, to be lead to safety by the trader Creevey? And Moody, what in the name of Merlin was going on.

"Don't be a dolt!" yelled Moody, as he ran to Ginny's cell and with his wand, opened it. Alastor picked up Ginny's limp figure, and carried her out of the cell. The young man then stood up, and took Ginny out of his arms, holding her close to his body.

"No way I am going to let you have her."

"If you're not going to believe us, then you can get Ginny to safety, either way, we have to go." and with out another word, the three men ran out of the prison and into the manor. 

…

A/n: well, hello all! Sorry for the wait! Had the HARDEST time trying to write this chappy! Well, its out, and I am sorry to say that this story is almost over. Lets see…a good 4 chapters before the end of my baby! But…its not over yet!

I just want to thank all of the GREAT PEOPLE who reviewed…

…Amanda Mancini …Keth …carameLisSa …DragonsMIstress …Rainydaygirl4 …Yodarox …Nichole Malfoy …Vipera …ayumi-dono …Jessie …Silverbutterfly …Kris-tina4 …Terriah …Wizzabee …Calla-ForEvEa …Icy Lullaby …Hells …Complex Simplicity …DazzilinAngel555 …DramaQueen14 …Lazyme …MISSERS!!! …siriusforeva …Kitty …Shayomac …LoveHopeFaith …Drooling4Draco …vixenfary27…KTBallerina …MoonDevil99 …Kittie06 …pinksunryse …Lela …Feffa …Iced Faerie …DnG4eVeR

and a special WOW to Complex Simplicity, who gave me the longest Review, I think I EVER HAD! It was sweet! Thanks!

Well Folks, that's about all I got now! OH! And GINERVA! Man…I was WAY off…well you know how its going to be now!!! NO MORE VIRGINIA! Even though that was a great name…Ginverva…hm… oh well! I wont question the JK!

Lots of Amor…

Love,

YvettE aka _Evy_

****

Next to Come:  
A Way Out  
Awakenings  
Moody's Retribution  
_and…_  
Running Away From Pain

Its going to be fun…


	15. Chapter 15

_Chapter 15_

.

They say to forgive is divine…

Draco summed up all the courage and strength he had as he followed Moody up the steps. His eyes blurred as he tried to keep watch on his tattered robe, billowing behind him as he followed Creevey out of the prison; the clunking of his wooden leg making it almost comical. He had only been running a few minutes before he began to grow tried. When he had snatched Ginny out of Moody's arms, he had forgotten that he had not used his body in…well… he didn't know how long exactly. Yet, as they came upon the next flight of stairs, he began to think that he should have left her in the old man's arms.

So much was going through Draco's mind as he climbed up the steps, trying to keep pace with the other two men. He thought of how this was all going to end. How three men and a catatonic girl were supposed to get out of a Manor, filled to the brim with Death Eaters? If Draco knew his Death Eaters right, and he _did_, he knew that they were constantly on watch, waiting for something that was out of the ordinary, and kill it with out mercy. He knew his father was like that, killing his own wife with out a second thought, and with him in command it was likely that his followers were going to be the same.

In the end, all the Death Eaters were alike, the same mindless, sniveling, useless men, who had nothing, better to do than gripe about worthless issues. The same men, who wanted purity with in their world, but would screw a Mudblood with out hesitation. Draco's lip curled, as he adjusted Ginny in his arms, clutching her tighter to his body. They had always condemned the Weasley's for their lack of money, or lack of position in the Wizarding World. Yet here they were, keeping her alive only to use.

Yet, as he stammered up the steps, he felt a new surge of energy come upon him. It could have been the fact that he was finally doing something for Ginny. That she was going to live through this, to see a better way of life, the life he always promised her. Or that, for once, he wasn't sitting in a cell, rotting away, as every one else was some how fighting for their-or his- life. Even as he ran up the steps as fast as he could, running into the walls for support, or panting and wheezing because his body wasn't expecting to save his love from death. Draco wasn't going to fail her this time; he was going to do anything and everything to save her.

"Malfoy?" came a voice as Draco struggled up the last few steps. He looked up to see his father… Creevey looking at Ginny in his arms. He held her closer, and stepped on the landing and nodded.

"What?" He barked, as he picked her up in his arms and pushed passed Creevey and over to Moody, who was looking out the door. Draco leaned against the wall behind him, looking at Ginny so helplessly. Her eyes were still open; staring blankly at his chest, as her own slowly went up and down; his only sign that she was even alive. He furrowed his brow and kissed her forehead, silently promising her that he would be the one to save her. He looked at Moody and then over to Creevey, who was looking at the two of them so oddly; then again he did look like his father. Draco gave him an odd stare, and then turned to Moody once more.

"What's going on out there?" he asked softly, trying to see over his shoulders. Moody pushed him away.

"I don't know yet, keep back." He looked at Draco and then to Ginny. "See if she will come to yet." The blonde nodded, and turned back to the staircase.

Draco gently placed her feet on the ground, and held the rest of her upper body in his arms. Resting her shoulders against the stone wall, he held her head and looked into her eyes. He furrowed his brow as he stared into them; the once sparkling brown was now almost a gray; the color was all but gone, and not an ounce of spark left in them. He smoothed her hair back, which was grimy and dirty, and sighed

"Love?" he asked softy, trying to hide the quiver in his voice. "You alright?" She didn't respond to him, and only let her mouth slowly fall open. He furrowed his brow, and lifted her chin so her mouth would once again be closed. Smoothing back his own dirty hair, he let out a breath of frustration. "I don't know what to do." He said to himself, rubbing his eyes.

"There is nothing you can do." Said Creevey, Draco rolled his eyes.

"Did I ask you, Death Eater?" he growled. Creevey only held his head high.

"You should at least ask for my help, Malfoy." He said softly, "I am a healer…"

"And you are bound to no side." He snapped.

"…And I care about Ginny." Draco's jaw tightened, and it was his turn to hold his head high.

"I don't give a fuck whether you do or not. You will not touch her."

"Malfoy…"

"NO!" he yelled, as he held Ginny to him. "Stay away from her."

"Don't be stubborn Malfoy, I only want to help Ginny…"

"Haven't you done enough?" he roared, eyes blazing as he looked at his father. "Haven't you done enough to last me and Ginny a life time? I am here now. I am going to save her! I don't need you any more to tell me what to do! WE HAVE OUR OWN LIVES! JUST LEAVE US ALONE!" Draco blinked a few times, trying to calm his emotions. The blonde then turned his attention back to Ginny, and tried talking to her again.

It was a few moments of awkward silence, with Creevey watching his every move, when Moody cleared his throat.

"Its time." He said, grabbing his wand out of his pocket. "It will take us 20 minutes exactly to get out of this floor, then we will be on the main floor, where we will head toward the main entrance." Creevey made his way passed the other two and looked out the door. "They will expect us to escape from the back. Now, if we see any of those wankers approaching, run." Draco furrowed his brow as he picked up Ginny in his arms once more. "This is no time for idle chatter, Constant Vilgilance!" With a look of determination, coming over his weathered face, Moody nodded. "This is our last chance Malfoy." He said, "and I for one have spent one too many days here." Draco only nodded as Moody made his way pass Creevey. Looking out for one more moment, he bolted out of the door, followed by Draco and Creevey.

.

Their escape from the first floor seemed almost too easy. It was odd that no one was on this floor at all. The three men had slipped out of the door, with Creevey bringing up the rear, and quickly made their way down the hall. The only sound they heard was their breath coming out in short, small puffs, and the sound of Moody's leg against the hard wood floors. The end of the hall had come a bit too easy, and now, they were on the main floor.

Draco furrowed his brow a bit as they went up a trap door to enter the main floor. As quickly as they could, they ran into a room adjacent to them, and hid in side. He caught his breath as his eyes scanned the room they had entered. For some reason, Draco had a sense of familiarity with this room; as if he had been here before. He picked up Ginny in his arms again, adjusting her so his arms wouldn't ache so much and kept looking around.

It was decorated in dark blue, from the carpet to the couch, giving the room an almost black look. There was a large desk, a few antique chairs, and random paintings on the walls. A large fireplace on the other side of the room had a roaring fire; Draco approached the fireplace and looked at the items on its mantel. They were small dark magic artifacts, and some bottles filled with Unicorn blood and Phoenix tears. Yet, it wasn't the dark objects that caught his eye, but the small picture sitting next to the bottles.

Draco stared hard at the children sitting in the picture, as a Dragon flew about in the background. The boys were laughing whole heartedly, giggling every time the dragon roared. They were dressed in pristine robes, not a speck of dirt on them. Their faces aristocratic, with not a hair out of place. The blonde's mouth fell open as he realized what house he was in.

"This is Zambini's manor." He said softly, he looked to the other two men, who had their heads poked out of the room. Draco shook his head as he backed away from the mantel and over to them. "Wankers, we are…"

"Shh…" Draco growled, Mad-eye kept doing that to him.

"Moody, don't '_shh_' me! I know where we…"

"Quite!" this time it was Creevey, "some one is coming."

The three of them then shut up immediately, and waited, as the sounds of rapid footsteps could be heard.

"What do we do?" one asked urgently.

"Go search for them!" The other replied, as if it was the most obvious thing to do.

"But Zambini, what if Master finds out?"

There was a pause.

"He wont." The voices started to become distant.

"But…"

"He wont" Zambini growled. "He isn't Voldemort, he won't know we are lying." He cleared his throat. "He is still only human." And then their arguing voices disappeared. Moody and Creevey then looked at each other, with an odd look in their eyes. Draco furrowed his brow, as he was, once again, left out of some big plan. He let out a frustrated breath and cleared his throat.

"As I was saying." He interjected. "I know…" but then there was a moan.

All three men looked at each other questioningly, even a bit queerly. Draco caught Moody's…eye… who caught Creevey's eyes who caught Draco's, all in wonderment. To moan? At a time like this? The men took a small step back from each other, when the moan was heard again. The three men looked at each other oddly again, before there was movement in Draco's arms. Draco looked down quickly to see Ginny's eyes moving back and forth. He looked at the other two men in wonder, and then back to Ginny.

She blinked a few times, and let out a shaky breath. The blonde man quickly placed her on the ground, and held her head up.

"GINNY!" he said loudly, ignoring Moody's shushing. He tapped her face a few times, but nothing happened; she only closed her eyes. Draco began breathing rapidly, if she fell into some sort of coma he would never know when she was going to awake again. He looked up to Creevey, who only shrugged.

"What would happen if she fell into a coma?" he asked him softly, Creevey's long blonde hair (as he still looked like his father) got into his face as he shook his head.

"It is very uncertain, I would need to know the cause…and her heath status..."

"The cause?" cried Draco. "How about almost being tortured to death?"

"Well…"

"We've got to go." Came Moody in a rushed voice. "They are coming."

"Who?" came Creevey standing up, "who is coming?" "The Death Eaters you, pillock." He growled. "We have to get out of the manor before we can use our wands." 

"Wands?" came Draco. "You have our wands?" Moody nodded as he took them out of his tattered robe. "Where…"

"He looks like your father." He said pointedly. "It was easy for him to nick them from the guards." The sounds of footsteps could be heard from above, as yells and shouts started all over the Manor. It was obvious that the news of their disappearance from the prison was spread, and the search had started. Moody stuck his head out of the room again, and nodded.

"Lets go!" he growled. Draco shook his head.

"I need to keep Ginny here, she won't make it…"

"Do you think she will make it if she is caught?" he said pointedly. "Come one Malfoy, we need to get out of here."

"Moody…"

"Fine!" he shouted, obviously frustrated from Draco's objections. "STAY! DIE! I DON'T CARE!" and he ran out of the room. Creevey looked apprehensively at Draco, before bolting out of the door after him.

Draco sighed angrily and picked up Ginny off the floor. He struggled for a moment to get on his feet, and then was out the door after them. Draco saw their robes billowing behind them as they ran towards the front entrance. If Draco knew the Zambini Manor, and he did, he knew that some where to the right, heading towards the back of the manor, would be a secret passage. He and Blaise would sneak out in their youthful days, going into town and lure young girls who fell for their handsome faces. At the time, the two had been best of friends, yet here he was, years later, running for his life.

The blonde ran as fast as he could, with the sound of distant voices making his heart beat faster. He looked about the hallways, remembering every picture, and every statue so much, that he swore Blaise was running after him, making sure Mrs. Zambini wasn't going to catch them. Draco knew as he picked up Ginny in his arms, that a hidden passageway was to the left of the back staircase. He also knew, that if the Death Eaters were going to catch some one, they would use the back staircase instead of the main. The blonde could hear voices coming from the staircase as he reached it. They were yelling orders to each other about taking the main staircase. Draco looked up to see the ends of their black robes, and dashed across.

As he reached the other side, he immediately began looking for a small incision in the wall. Draco was even tempted to place Ginny down to search for it with his hand. It was so minuet that it would be easier to just feel for it, than use the naked eye. Draco heard the sound of feet coming down the steps, and his heart raced. _Where is it?_ He asked himself, _I know its here…where_…and as the steps became louder, he found the small incision in the wall, as if some one had taken a knife and cut a small hole, and pulled it. All of a sudden, the incision became the just the right size for him to slip inside with Ginny. Quickly, he bent his head and went into the darkness, just as Zambini himself finished the last step, and walked by with out even a second glance.

.

.

Funny how things changed, Draco said to himself as he made his way down the path, knowing that there were no twist or turns along the way. If it were him looking for Zambini, secret passageways in his own Manor would have been the first place he'd look. Then again, what Alastor had said was right, the Death Eaters were useless with out Voldemort in power. The blonde had heard of Death Eater turning against Death Eater for power, money, and women. How their organization had went to the preverbal Dogs. Draco snorted, he would think they would, they did let a Mudblood into their circle; how thick can you get?

When Malfoy felt a draft come on his face, he knew they were nearing the end of the tunnel. He picked up Ginny in his arms again, and began going at a faster pace. He couldn't hear any noise coming from out side, so he figured he was in the clear. As he pushed open the wall that separated him from the out side, he saw Moody and Creevey, now looking like Creevey, talking. He slipped out of the passageway, and as quickly as possible, made his way to them.

"Moody!" he called, "MOODY!" the old man turned and widened his eyes when Draco almost collapsed in front of him, as Draco didn't realize how tired he actually was.

"Malfoy?" asked Alastor, in astonishment. "How…"

"I tired to tell you." He breathed. "I knew a secret passage way out of the Manor." The healer furrowed his brow.

"How?" he asked, almost skeptically, Draco rolled his eyes.

"Blaise and I were best friends for 11 years." Draco told him matter-a-factly. "I think I would know the in's and out's of his Manor."

"Well." Said Moody with a sigh. "Do you know a way out of here? We cant apparate, it's blocked." Draco bit his lip thinking.

"Uh…" he started blankly. " We…"

"Malfoy, we need an answer, we can't go out the main gat, because that's where they would be waiting for us." Barked Creevey, oh how Draco wanted to punch him in the face. "We need one now Malfoy."

"I trying to think!" he barked back, rattling his brain for hidden opening in the gate. He looked at the gate in front of him, knowing that an opening was around here some where, he had used it millions of times. He looked at the part of the gate, covered by the leaves of a bush behind it and nodded. "Its…" but Draco wasn't able to finish his sentence, as a green light came their way. The three men looked to where the light had come to see Death Eaters coming their way. The men looked at each other, and grabbed their wands, all except Draco.

"Where's my wand?" he said nervously, "I don't have a wand… I…"

"Here." Said Moody, tossing him his wand, "Let's go." Draco hesitated.

"What about Ginny!" he yelled, as Alastor and Creevey took off running.

"Leave her!" he said. "She'll be fine!"

Draco furrowed his brow as he watched the two begin to battle the Death Eaters. He gently placed Ginny on the ground, and brushed her hair back with his hands. Kissing her softly on the forehead, he whispered: _I love you_, and took off as well.

.

.

The blackness around her was getting to be too much. She was in a prison, a prison with out walls or boundaries. She wanted to go mad, she wanted to scream and shout and be free, but her mind wouldn't let her. Her mind wanted to stay in the darkness, than look at the light, and into her reality. Her reality would only drive her mad, to send her into a state of never ending sadness and loss.

The feeling of something wet falling on her face made her cringe. There it was…again…and again… and once more. Her eyes slowly opened, to be faced with gray. The sky above her head was gray, as little drops of water fell from the thick clouds. As her eyes fully opened, she quickly sat up in horror.

"LUCIOUS!" she screamed, as the image of him over her came into her mind. She sat up panting, the feeling of his body against her; making her convulse with the urge to vomit. The red head put a hand to her mouth and calmed her mind, she was ok, she coaxed herself, and there was no one around.

The young woman perked up again; there _was_ no one around. She began looking around her, finding herself out side…free. Well, it was no wonder: it was raining after all. Her brown eyes searched her surroundings, finding nothing but a fence and the Manor. Ginny concluded that since she had been with… met… Lucious, Moody had some how found a way out. She sighed and wiped her eyes from the rain that was falling.

Ginny stood up with the resolution to get herself out of here. There will be time to grieve for Draco; she had to get out of this place, she had to be far from Lucious. Ginny stopped, _grieve for Draco_, it sounded horrible to say. Merlin, how Ginny wanted to go and find that son of a bitch Lucious and kill him. Ginny trembled with anger and pain; he let her Draco be killed. Her heart ached to do something, not to just run away, but go and do something for him, because he would have done the same for her. Yet Ginny was resolute, she had to get out now, and then fight for Draco when she was free.

Slowly getting to her feet and finding that it was hard to do with out falling-or the aid of Death Eaters pulling you. Getting to her feet, she steadied herself and rubbed her face with the rain from above, she seemed to be at the side of the Manor. She would have to make her way towards the front gates, and make a run for it, until she reached some kind of civilization.

It was then that the woman heard the sound of distant yelling. Turning left and right, she saw no one, however, the voices were coming from some where not far off. Ginny turned to her left, and saw the flashing of lights, as the rain came down upon her face. Wiping the rain from her eyes, she made her way towards the noise, she thought that if all the Death Eaters had congregated in front, than she could jump the fence, like in training, and get out of here.

However, as she made her way, she found that her tired body had other things in mind. Her body didn't want to walk, it wanted to fall down, and rest for all of her days. Yet, Ginevra Weasley was never one to give up so easily, and kept going. The voices were getting louder, and the color that shot out from the front was of greens, reds, and blinding whites. It was obvious that some sort of dueling was going on. Then it hit her; maybe it was the Order! Moody had owled the Ministry and they were now battling with the Death Eaters, and that slimy pillock Zambini.

As Ginny neared the corner of the manor, her heart was beating so fast, she felt as if she had just run a mile. Since adrenaline was running in her body, and her long jog/walk from where she had been lying, along with the rain that kept falling, and the starlings from the thunder above, she was already tired. Ginny grasped the edge of the building, and stuck her head out to see what was going on.

She nearly died. For standing not 100 feet away was Draco. Ginny felt as if every breath in her body had been taken away as she stared at him. Lucious…his father… had told her he had been killed. That the Death Eaters, under their own crazed ideas, had killed him. Ginny had died when he told her that; she had wanted to die, as long as it meant she would be with Draco. She had gone blank the moment Lucious had told her. The red head's mind, body, feelings, everything had turned off, she couldn't take it. The mere thought of living on this earth, after all she had been through, with out Draco was death in itself.

Yet there he was, alive, and fighting for their freedom. Ginevra just stood there staring at him, she wanted to run up, and hug him. She wanted to hold him forever in her arms, and never let go. She was snapped out of her romantic trance when the Death Eater hit Draco in the face. She let out a scream as he fell to the ground, spitting out blood. She gripped the side of the wall, turning her knuckles white as she watched the Death Eater point his wand at him. The urge to throw herself between the wand and Draco was great, yet in a sudden movement, Draco turned his wand on him, and with a flash of green, the Death Eater fell dead.

The young woman stood there shaking as Draco got to his feet, looking at the other two men, fighting off the others. He rubbed some of the rain out of his eyes and then turned in her direction.

Their eyes caught.

Ginny's lower lip trembled as he looked at her, his eyes blinking furiously. His mouth hung open slightly from shock, and his brows were furrowed. Ginny felt tears falling down her eyes as she looked at her beautiful Draco. All of a sudden, he smiled and visibly sighed. Ginny smiled at him with relief; he wasn't angry at her any more. As the red head let go of the sides to go to Draco, something changed in him. His eyes furrowed with suspicion, and his face showed confusion. She stood there awkwardly, had he changed his mind about her? Was there something wrong with her appearance, was it the rain in his eyes? All of a sudden, a look of pure fear came over is face, and his mouth fell open. Ginny furrowed her brow and wiped the rain out of her own eyes.

"Draco?" she said as loudly as she could as he began running towards her.

"GINNY!" he yelled, she looked at him awkwardly, and opened her mouth to question him, but then she felt it.

Draco stopped dead in his tracks.

It felt as if her flesh was tearing in two, a blinding pain came from her lower back. Her mouth fell open in surprise, as she let out a scream. Something slid out of her flesh and she slowly turned her head. The blazing eyes of gray stared at her, hatred filling them. They took her by the shoulder, and threw her against the Manor wall, causing her to slam her head against the concrete. Ginny let out a moan of pain, as a bleeding Lucious Malfoy put a dagger to her throat. She breathed in and out quickly, feeling pain and fear coursing through her body, as the rain fell faster.

She felt it again, a piercing pain in her stomach, the feeling of her body being torn apart. She opened her eyes and looked at Lucious as the blood kept flowing from his hairline, nose, and mouth. Ginny took in a shaky breath, feeling her lungs fill with blood. The blonde man held up the dagger to her face, seeing her own blood upon it.

"Bitch." He said though gritted teeth. "Thought you could get away?" he said, dragging the knife across her cheek, feeling blood ooze from it. "Thought that my pathetic use for a son could save you?" He laughed. The rain from above clouded her vision, as the blood from his face slowly washed away from the harsh rain. The young woman tried to take another breath, but more blood was seeping in. The pain was unbearable and Ginny let out a low moan; he only laughed more. "I won't let him win." Lucious said slowly, his mouth turning into a sneer. "If I go to hell…" he said, pressing the knife into her body, as it tore into her flesh. "I am taking his Mudblood loving girlfriend with me." His knife then plunged deep into her chest, and Ginny let out a scream.

The elder Malfoy ripped the knife out of her body, as blood oozed from the wound freely. She looked down at her dress; it being once white was now wet, dirty, and stained with blood. The gashes in her dress exposed her bleeding flesh, as rain fell on them, in an attempt to clean it. Her brown eyes looked up to see Lucious staring at his work, a cruel smile playing across his lips as he caught her eye. Then slowly, things began to grow hazy, his evil blood stained face was no longer clear; all she could see was the rain that splattered against the earth. Ginny closed her eyes as her head swam with pain and a sense of darkness came over her.

The sound of a muddled cry came faintly. Opening her eyes, Ginny no longer saw the malicious face of Lucious in front of her, as he was but moments ago. She turned to her left to see Moody and Lucious. Alastor had his hands around Lucious neck; a rage she had never seen in him was present in his eye. The blonde only put his hands around Mad-eye's wrist, in attempt to free himself. Then quickly, Moody pulled out his wand and pointed it directly at Lucious chest, as he slid to the ground.

"What is this Mad-eye?" he panted, but said in a taunting manner "your revenge on me?" Moody didn't say anything, only kept his one eye fixed on him, his wand held tightly in his hands. "Go ahead old man, kill me!" Moody's lip curled, and then, quite suddenly, he kicked Lucious in the chest, causing the wind to be knocked out of him. He leaned onto the ground and spit out blood; he sat up chuckling. "Is that the best, Alastor?" The old man then shook his head, and said, as loud as he could.

"_Avada Kedavra"_ a burst of green shot out of his wand and Lucious was dead. He wiped his mouth, for some strange reason, and sighed. Shaking his head, he said to himself.

"That was for my leg." Moody then lifted his head, and looked at Ginny, his eyes went wide as she stared at him.

Ginny looked at him sadly and gave Moody a small smile. Then, she felt her eyes roll into the back of her head and she slid to the ground. She could feel the blood from her back ooze onto the wall as she hit the ground, the red liquid soaking into her hair. The rain that fell from the sky was trying in vain to wash her wounds, but they just kept bleeding. She touched her marred skin lightly, and rubbed the blood between her fingers. Her brown eyes looked up to Moody, who looked as if he was lost. She opened her mouth to say something, but blood came flowing out, and onto her chin.

Ginevra felt dizzy, her mind spun with pain and darkness. She couldn't breathe, everything was going black, and a sudden chill came over her body. She ached; Ginny ached so badly that the want to slip into an unconsciousness sleep was appealing. She leaned her head back, and welcomed the darkness that was coming over her mind. The blood was filling her lungs, and no oxygen to her brain was giving her body a tingling feeling. Ginny could no longer feel the rain; she could no longer feel the cold that was coming over her body. She could no longer feel…

"GINNY!" some one yelled as the moved her body from the wall. Her eyes refocused to see sparkling gray before her own eyes. "GINNY! DON'T GO TO SLEEP!" Her eyes rolled back and then into focus as Draco's face came into view. She stared at his wet blonde hair, and his pink cheeks; she smiled, he was still so beautiful. She smiled, and coughed up blood onto his dirty shirt. He cradled her body closer to his, running his hands up and down her back. Ginny rubbed her head against his shoulder as he kept saying soothing words to her. She coughed up blood once again.

"It will be ok Gin!" he coaxed, as he looked around him. "It will be ok! We will make it out of here! Just don't go to sleep."

"Draco." She choked out, even though blood came with it. "It will be ok." The red head began to slur her words. "I…"

"NO!" he said as he wiped the rain from her face. "No, don't say anything gin! I will keep you awake, don't worry."

"I am sorry." She said softly, feeling dizzy. "I am so sorry for everything I've done to you." She tried to take in some hair, but more blood filled her lungs. "For making you hurt, for turning you cold once again."

"No Ginny!" he said, kissing her fore head. "You didn't do any of that, you saved me! You kept me alive, and I don't just mean now, you've always been the one thing I lived for." She smiled softly, as her eyelids began to close. "NO GINNY!" he shook her awake.

The distant sounds of popping were then heard, as Draco looked behind him.

"OVER HERE!" he yelled, "HELP!" he then began to pant, as he once again shook Ginny awake. "Gin." He said, wiping the rain from his and then her eyes. "The Order is here!" He smiled as she nodded softly. "They are here Ginny, they are going to help you." He smiled, as he held her closer to his body. "You are going to be ok love."

"I would do it again." She slurred; he looked down on her with a furrowed brow. "I would do this all over again, if it meant that you would be ok." The young woman began to shake, as the darkness began to come over her.

"Ginny." Draco said, tears streaming down his face. "I love you."

"I know." She said, as his face began to fade. "I know." The distant sounds of feet pounding on the ground, the sobs of Draco were the last thing Ginny heard.

…

A/n: oh! Thank you guys soo much for waiting so long! I have been writing this chapter for 3 weeks now! And I posted it as soon as I was done! I hope you like it! I know I did!! Well, I just want to send my dearest love to…

..Amanda Mancini ..siriusforeva ..mina ..Sazzy7 ..carameLisSa ..Silverbutterfly ..mist ..weh ..Kris-tina4 ..carebear11488 ..Icy Lullaby ..Iced Faerie ..Stella7 ..shayomac ..DramaQueen14 ..Nichole Malfoy …Excellent ..ayumi-dono ..London Aster ..YashiriRanma4ever ..CrazyStarz ..MISSERS!!! ..Terriah ..stoictimer ..mary ..Charmed-Goddess-07 ..Yodarox ..Taika ..Wow! ..Zammie ..Wunna's Realm ..The Perfectionist

hahah! Ok well, I am glad you came and took a look! And I hoped you enjoyed the chappy!

Love ya! And don't go see HP3 too much! Your eyes might go bad!!

Love,

YvettE

****

Next to Come:  
Realizations  
Out of body  
As Time Goes by  
_And…  
_Gone

It's gonna be fun…


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

They say dying seems less sad than having lived too little...   
  
. 

Ginny Weasley took a large intake of breath. She felt her heart beat, and the blood slowly flowing through her veins. The feeling of being alive had never felt so good until that moment. She felt her body, lying in a bed, covered comfortably in blanket. A soft pillow was under her head, making her feel as if she were sleeping on a cloud. The steady beat of a beeping noise was almost soothing as she lay in her bed. The scent of muggle floor cleaners hit her senses, and she inhaled once again.

Ginevra moved her hands, flexing them, testing them out as if she had never used them before. She turned her head from left to right, liking the feeling of her hair in her face. She took in another deep breath; yes, it felt good to be alive. The beeping began to grow faster as Ginny's eyes fluttered open. She looked into a gray ceiling, seeing Muggle lights and something called an air conditioner. She felt its cool breeze hit her face, and she smiled. Giving a resolute sigh, she sat up in her bed.

Her suspicions were right, she was sitting in a muggle hospital. Her eyes scanned the small white room, seeing if she had any other people sharing the room. There were four beds-including hers- one of them had the curtain around it, and the other two, the one next to hers, and the one adjacent, were empty. She noticed a door, with a small rectangle for a window, and smiled a bit as a muggle doctor walked by.

Scanning the rest of the room, she saw a window with a scene of Muggle London out side of it. It was so beautiful. The sky was dark blue, with a few stars. The buildings were tall, with lights surrounding its outside; they almost sparkled. Ginny shook her head in wonder, _those crazy muggles_, she said happily to herself. And sitting next to the window, was a man.

The young woman did a double take, and sighed in relief: Draco. Draco was sitting in a chair next to the window hunched over. His elbows on his knees and head in hands; he looked so sad. Ginny furrowed her brow in question, was he asleep? The red head noticed that his hair was shorter, and he was wearing a white muggle shirt and some black pants. Ginny just kept looking at him, waiting for him to notice her. She looked at him for what felt like hours, the only sound coming from the beeping machine. Finally, after getting tired of waiting, she questioned him.

"Draco?" she said softly, "Love?" he didn't answer, only ran a hand through his hair. She furrowed her brow once again, was he angry at her? Was he in trouble with the Ministry? Ginny just sat there uncomfortably, as he began to sniff. Wiping his eyes furiously, he sighed.

"Ginny." He said solemnly, she didn't respond. "Don't do this to me." The red head bit her lip in question.

"Draco?" she replied softly, he shook his head. "What's wrong?"

"Please." He said, as if he didn't want to hear it. "Don't."

"Draco." She said apologetically. "I am sorry. What ever I did, I am so sorry." She felt her eyes begin to sting with tears, had he not really forgiven her? Was he still angry that she had deceived him? What ever it was Ginny was ready to spend the rest of her life making it up to him.

"Ginny, I can't do this." Her breath caught in her throat. He couldn't be with her? Was that it? He didn't even want to look at her, which made her think that he wanted nothing more to do with her. After everything, after all she had done, and sacrificed, he still didn't want to forgive her. "I cant even look at you some times." He went on. "I feel…so… God." He shook his head, letting it hang low. "I feel like nothing I do will make me feel any different."

"Then what?" Ginny said angrily, hearing the monitor in the back beat slower. "You want to leave me? For get everything we had because of … of… what happened?" he sighed and shook his head.

"Ginny."

"No Draco!" she said, getting out of bed, and marching over to him. "No, I won't let you go! I have fought for you before; I will do it again! Don't you _dare_ think of leaving me!" He sat up, letting his face show for the first time; his face was streaked with tears. His blonde hair fell in his eyes, and he once again ran a hand through it, getting it out of his face. Ginny saw how red they were, and felt her heart break. This couldn't be it.

"Gin." He said looking into her eyes. "I love you so much. I want to be with you so much." His voice faltered. "Please."

"What Draco?" Ginny said, bending down to look into his eyes, he didn't meet hers. "What do you want me to do? I will do anything, _anything_, just tell me what I have to do for you to forgive me?" she wiped away a tear, and sighed. He just

Kept looking around the room, his mind racing with Merlin only knows what.

"I…" he stopped, and cleared his throat. "I want you…to live." Ginny furrowed her brow. Live? She could live, as long as she had him by her side, Ginny could fly if she wanted to. Tears just kept flowing down his face as he looked out the window. She couldn't understand, why didn't he even want to look at her. The red head sighed; wondering what to do, or say.

"Draco," she said softly, she shook her head. "I love you." The beeping grew slower.

"I love you." He replied, almost cutting her off.

"I am ready Draco." She said, smiling, even as tears fell down her face. "I am ready to live our life, to see our children grow up." She let out a sob. "But I can't do anything, even live, with out you." He looked at her suddenly,

"Listen to me." He said, getting up, and walking pass her. "Don't you dare leave me alone." Ginny hung her head low, and just listened to him. "Don't you dare think of leaving me Ginevra Weasley."

"I won't Draco!" she shouted in frustration. "I don't want to leave you!" she looked out the window in frustration.

"Wake up" Ginny furrowed her brow. "Ginny, just open your eyes."

The young red head stood up slowly. _Wake up?_ She _was_ up. Rubbing her face, she turned around to face Draco. She stopped. Squinting her eyes, she saw Draco resting his head on her bed. His arms resting across the white hospital bed.

"Draco?" she said softly; he sniffed. "DRACO!" she yelled, he didn't move.

The young woman then walked over to him, and stopped. Her mouth fell open as more tears fell down her face. Draco was resting his head, on… on her abdomen. His arms draped over her legs, as he let his tears fall onto the sheets. Ginny looked at her own face, lying in the bed. The red head blinked a few times. This didn't make sense, why was she standing next to Draco, when her body was still lying in the bed.

Ginny, with a sense of foreboding and her lips trembling, she placed a hand on Draco's shoulder, only for it to fall through. He looked up, looking at where she stood, but only looked back. He couldn't see her. Ginny began looking about the room, like a wild animal in a cage. She turned back to her body and looked at her face.

Her face was filled with cuts. Muggle plastic tubes in her nose and mouth, with a respirator going slowly up and down next to her bed. The red head furrowed her brow as she stared at herself, she looked so sick. Ginny began to grow worried. Why was she looking at herself, why wasn't she with her body? Was she going to die? Was she going to be a ghost, and haunt a muggle hospital for the rest of her days? Ginny went back to Draco, watching him as he held her hand.

"DRACO!" she yelled loudly in his ear, he only sighed. "DRACO!!" she screamed once again. He only kept kissing her body's hand, whispering soft words.

The red head shook her head. No, this wouldn't be it. She wouldn't let Draco go that easily. She went to the other side of the bed, and jumped back onto it. Thinking that maybe, if she put her spirit, or what ever she was, back into her body, she would wake up and her and Draco would live happily ever after.

"Ginny." He said, as she lied back into her body. "Please, come back to me."

"I'm trying to Draco." She whispered. "I am trying."

Ginny lied in her body, and closed her eyes. Waiting a few seconds, and whispering a little prayer for this to work; she opened her eyes. Sitting up, she looked back to see her body still lying there. She began to pant, feeling utterly hopeless. Ginny put her head in her hands and cried, she couldn't die, she just couldn't. The sobs of her and Draco, and the very slow beeping of the heart monitor were the only noises in the hospital room. As the young woman cried, the beeping grew slower… and slower… and slower.

All of a sudden, there was a quick beeping, even as Ginny's heart began to go slower. Both Ginny and Draco looked up. Her mouth fell open, tears falling down her face. She looked at Draco who looked as if his world just crumbled around him.

"Ginny." He said shakily. "GINNY!" he yelled, standing up. All of a sudden, a nurse came running into the room, followed by a muggle doctor.

"What's her condition?" he said, ignoring Draco, even as the nurse pushed him out of the way.

"Trauma patient, three stab wounds, one to the kidney, from the back. Two in the stomach, the main one only missing her heart." She pushed Draco out of the way again. "Pumped her lungs that were filled with blood, went straight into the operating room to be stitched."

"Then why is her heart failing?" asked the doctor impatiently.

"I don't know." Said the nurse as the monitor grew even slower. "She's leaving us, I don't understand, she was stable when I left."

"What's wrong?" came the shaky voice of Draco. Ginny almost forgot he was there. She was dying. Her heart was failing, and she would never be with Draco. Her brown eyes looked at Draco, watching as tear after tear fell down his face; a pained look in his eyes as the doctors began to check everything there was to check. The beeping grew faint, it was almost flat.

"Sir." Came the nurse, as a few more doctors came in. "Sir, we need you to leave."

"No." he said his eyes focused on Ginny. "No, I am not leaving her, I have to be here for her." He tried to push past her, but another doctor came in front of him, taking Draco by the arm.

"Sir, we are trying our best, but this room is going to get hectic, and you are not family.

"I am!" he yelled. "I am her fiancée, I am as good as…"

"Sir, we…" the monitor went flat.

"GINNY!" he yelled, pushing past the doctor, Ginny watched as the nurses took Draco by the arm, and rushed him out, as another nurse came in with a machine. They closed the door in Draco's face.

Ginny walked out of the room, and watched Draco leaned against the wall. His mouth hanging low, as tear after tear fell down his face. Ginny let out a sob, as she heard the doctors from the inside yell "CLEAR". She walked over to Draco, and stood in front of him, wanting to touch him so much. Just to let him know that she was here, and she loved him so much. As she stood in front of him, opening her mouth, as he slid to the ground.

The red head watched as covered his face and cried. He let it all out into that hallway, crying so hard that he could barely breathe. Ginny bent down and just stared at him, crying hard herself.

"No Ginny!" he said in a harsh voice. "You will not die!" he looked up into the room, and shook his head. "I cant live with out you!"

"Draco." She said softly. "Please." She began to beg to …some one... "Please, let me live… please."

"Sir?" came a nurse, walking out of the room. Draco's gray eyes opened wide, the nurse sighed and shook her head.

"She…"

"No!" he said loudly, standing up. "No."

"Sir?" she questioned. "Are…"

"NO!" he yelled, and with out even thinking about it, Draco ran down the hall, and out of sight.

Ginny just watched him go, and began to cry. She was alone. After all that had happened, all that she had been through, she was alone. The nurses walked back into the room, shaking her head. Ginny stood alone in the hall. Tear after tear falling down her face as the feeling loneliness took over.

"No." she shook her head, wiping her eyes. "This cant be it." She said resolutely. "I will not die." She took a deep breath, "PLEASE! PLEASE!" she cried. "DON'T LET THIS BE IT!" she fell to her knees. "PLEASE!!! I NEED TO LIVE!" She covered her face, rocking back and forth slowly. The lights began to dim. "Please… I want to be with Draco." Her sobs were all she heard, as the hospital slowly faded away, and Ginny was left in the dark.

.

.

"NO GEORGE!" said Molly Weasley, shaking her head at him as she entered the door.

"But mum…" he started, holding out his plate of cakes. She gave him an evil look and then picked up the plate.

"What. Are. These?" asked, staring at the little custard filled cakes, he shrugged.

"Just a little…" he started that all too familiar grin spreading over his face.

"Just a little WHAT?" came molly, placing her hands on her hips.

"…Some thing for the muggles, mum."

"GEORGE WEASLEY!" cried Mrs. Weasley, taking the plate from his hands. "How many times do I have to tell you to stop terrorizing the muggles!" She then took out her wand and lit the plate a flame, causing all the cakes to burn.

"Oh mum!" came George indignantly, grabbing the plate out of her hand. "I just developed these! They are for the shop!"

"Then you better keep all your inventions _at _the shop!" she yelled. "This place is packed with muggles, we don't want to draw attention to ourselves!" Molly scolded.

"Well it's a bit late for that, innit?" he asked, taking an apple from his pocket, biting into it. "You saw dad here last week, wearing his full robes. Muggles thought he'd escaped from their mental ward."

"You hush up, where's your brother?" she inquired, peering out of the room,

"Dunno, ran after some muggle nurse." He smiled. "Think he fancies her."

"You two." Sighed Molly. "I don't know what I am going to do with you two."

"Don't have to worry about me mum." George said beaming. "_I'm_ married!"

"Yes, with only 2 children!" He looked at her as if she went mad

"Only 2 children?" he cried. "Are you mad mum? They are a hand full! I can't even think when I'm home! What do you think I'm doing here?" She gave him a menacing look, and he smiled. "Kidding, kidding."

"You go fetch your brother, before I put you both over my knee." She said pointing a finger at him, he shook his head and patted his mother on the head.

"Of course mum, what ever you say." And blowing her a kiss, he walked off to find Fred.

.

Molly walked into the room and sighed.

"What am I going to do with those two?" she asked aloud, shaking her head. "They are so irresponsible, and are always playing around." The older woman put her handbag on the chair and took off her muggle jacket.

Molly looked about the room and gave an undignified sigh; did these muggles not know how to _properly_ clean a room? Apparently not. The older woman looked about the room, making sure no one was awake to see her, and quickly took out her wand; muttering a quick spell, the entire room was cleaned. She smiled smugly at her handy work, inhaling the smell of Mrs. Skower's All - Purpose Magical Mess Remover. She then walked over to the nightstand, and began rearranging and dusting the table. She looked at the bed and smiled sadly.

"Oh dear, look what Fred left." She picked up a Tongue- ton toffee from the nightstand. "I keep telling him, if he keeps leaving these things all about the place, a muggle will find it and stupidly eat it. Then what will we do? I ask you? We would have to take out our wands!" she sighed as she tossed the candy in her purse. "I know they mean to bring happiness to this situation." She said sadly. "But you just can't leave things out for muggles to find! They think we are queer enough as it is. Well, what can you do? I ask you?" Molly then walked over to the window, and threw open the curtains to let the sun shine to warm the room. She sighed at the sight of the blustering city, how much Ginny would have loved to see this.

Looking back at the bed, she smiled once more. Molly always had to force herself to smile when she came to see her youngest daughter. Yet, Molly tried not to dwell, she had things to do before she could go to the ministry to visit Arthur. Walking away from the window, she began flattening the sheets on the bed.

"Ginny." She said softly, after a few moments of just staring at her. "I never wanted this to happen." She sniffed. "If I'd known this would be the out come…" Molly took in a deep breath. "That this would have happened putting that Woman's Ban, I would have said no, point blank." She stopped to look at her daughter. "The entire time you were gone, I kept thinking back to when I was captured. How frightened I was every time a Death Eater came by. How Narcissa …" her eyes began to sting. "I thought she hated me. We hadn't spoken since … well… forever. Her and Bella… or Bellatrix, would call me "Raggedy Molly Dolly" when we were younger." She rolled her eyes. "Just because I was the only one out of all our cousins who had red hair. After we entered Hogwarts, we stopped talking, I was a Gryffyndor and she was a Slytherin, we couldn't in any way be connected." Molly sat tiredly on the chair under the window. "Then, we grew up, had our own families, warring husbands of course, but that really didn't concern us. Then, the war came." She cleared her throat. "The second one. I was captured and thrown into a cell, no bigger than your bed, Ginny." She smiled at her resting daughter. "She was there, and had been there weeks before I came. She knew that the Death Eaters were going to kill me, she knew that if I didn't give them information, that I would die, leaving all of you." Molly wiped away a tear, sniffing a bit. "She begged me to take care of him. She told me she would make sure I would live as long as I promised to take care of Draco, making sure that you and him married, and that I would live to see your children grow up."

"I thought her mad. Literally, MAD! Take care of Draco? Watch you two get married? I didn't even know you had been dating, yet apparently she knew, and I nodded my head. What was I to do? Say no? I just thought she was delirious, I really did. I told her, I told her that I would love Draco as my own son, thinking that she was going to come back tomorrow, thinking that she and I would get out of the prison, and act as if we didn't know each other, as usual. Yet they took her, and they told me I was lucky, that some one put them selves in my place. " She took out a handkerchief from her pocket and wiped her eyes. "Lucious killed her, and I was left to rot in the cell. She did it so selflessly, I couldn't understand. I thought she hated me; and yet there she was, sacrificing herself for me." Molly smiled at her daughter, and got up. She walked over to a vase of flowers and began fixing them, arranging them as to distract her from the thoughts that scarred her mind. She sighed as she looked at their browning leaves. "I regret taking care of Draco now." Molly said angrily. "I resent the love I gave him." She shook her head. "Look what he as done to Narcissa and to you…" her lip trembled as she picked up the vase to carry it to Ginny's bedside. "I now think, he wasn't worth it…"

"He was." Said a soft voice.

Molly's mouth fell open. With a trembling body, she turned around slowly to see Ginny's brown eyes staring at her. She blinked.

"Draco was worth it all." Molly gave a loud gasp and covered her mouth. Causing the vase to slip from her hand, and shatter into a million pieces. Ginny had awoken.

…

A/n: ok, here is my latest chapter! Came quick didn't it? I know, this is also one of the chapters that I had in my head since I started this fic! Oh, I know this chapter is vague, and doesn't give too much info, but you will just have to wait till the next chappy won't you? Well, I just want to give my unwavering love to…

..Nichole Malfoy ..Christabell ..Amanda Mancini ..SiLvErStInG04 ..ayumi-dono ..Youdarox ..FireRoseRed ..Iced Faerie ..Keth aka Adaliah ..stoictimer ..Charmed-Goddess-07 ..Missers!!!!!! ..Lady Godiva ..Aiko-17 ..Charming Visions **..siriusforeva ..CrazyStarz ..Akarusa30991 ..Kris-tina4 ..XxRakellyxX ..Croaker ..Calla-ForEvEa ..Terriah ..Sasatia ..Ic****y Lullaby ..Wizzabee ..Sazzy7 ..carameLisSa ..purus.flere ..YashiriRanma4ever ..shayomac ..ComplexSimplicity**

Calla-ForEvEa :I would have mentioned you in my last love, but you didn't review! I would have remembered and I even looked over who reviewed again, just to make sure!!! I didn't see you! …hmmmm…I don't know what to say to that lovey!

Well, I hoped you like this chappy, and be ready for the next one! Oh man oh man!

AND I hoped you like the new name! I felt like Sorrow as more… cool! Just like me!

Until next time…

Love,

YvettE S.

**Next To Come:  
**A Family Reunion  
Old Friends  
A Waiting Heart  
_And…  
_Dying All Over Again

It's gonna be fun…


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

They say to sleep is an act of faith…

"Mum?" came Ginny, sitting up slowly in her bed. She rubbed her face a bit, taking a large intake of breath. Opening her brown eyes, she stared at her mother, who looked like she had just seen death. The woman smiled slightly at her mother. "Are you ok?"

"GEORGE!" her mother screamed abruptly, running out of the room. Ginny nearly fell off the bed as her mother went screaming down the hallway "GOOD MERLIN! WHERE IS GEORGE?!"

Ginny had stared after her mother with a worried face. Some times, Ginny thought, that woman is a bit off. Yet, the thoughts of her deranged mother soon left her mind as a few dozen nurses and doctors came bustling into her room. The looked at her with skepticism, wrote down Merlin only knew what on their charts, and touched her in areas that made her blush. They also kept talking in their Muggle gibberish. What ever they were saying, Ginny took no interest in. The only thing she wanted to know was: where is Draco?

Yet, the madness from her first morning only intensified on the following day, when her mother decided to come back. From what Ginny could understand between her mothers hysteric crying, was that the doctors wouldn't let her or the twin's back in, due to the fact that Ginny needed rest.

"Rest? I said to them as if they were mad." She said as she wiped her face. "How much more rest could she get?"

"Oh." Was Ginny's only response. In actuality, the woman could do with a bit more rest. Her mind and body were still sore from her…time… at the Manor. She figured she had only slept a few days, because the scars on her body were still as bright as they were the day she received them.

Yet, her subtle hints went unnoticed by her mother, who did nothing but fuss over Ginny. The woman could understand her mother's crazed ways, due to the fact that she hadn't seen her in… a year, possibly? Molly spent the first few nights right by Ginny's side. Apparently, the rest of her family couldn't come to see her until she was moved out of the trauma floor. Ginny didn't really mind, she wasn't too keen on seeing her family at the moment.

Oh Merlin, what would they say? Would they be angry with her? Would they want to disown her? She could see her father's face now, red with anger. His forehead creased with frustration, the hairs sticking on its ends. He had warned her before she left, he told her flat out, that if she went into war, he would break her wand. Well, her moment of truth had arrived; she was going to see her father, the Minister of bloody Magic, the next day. Merlin, what will he say?

Ginny wasn't only worried about her Father, it was _EVERYONE_. Every single one of the Weasley's was going to see her tomorrow. Ginny's mind had raced since the moment she was moved into their "normal" rooms; and in a few days she was going to be released. The red head wasn't looking forward to coming home at all. She would rather stay in the hospital, the muggle hospital for that matter, than go home with her family. She couldn't bear to see every one wearing the same face her Mother wears when she thinks Ginny isn't looking. She was, once again, going to be treated as a China doll, fragile, and would break at any moment. The woman had received that treatment after her 1st year, and wasn't looking forward to it again.

The love of her family had always been her source of strength. Whenever she felt as if the world was going to swallow her whole, they were the ones to lift her back up. They were the ones who helped her get into Auror training to begin with, when no other commander was willing to take the chance on a girl. They were the ones who convinced her that she would learn to live again after Harry. They were there, even when Draco wasn't. They were _there_, and now, Ginny didn't want them too. She didn't want their love; she didn't deserve their love.

The young girl sighed as she looked out into dark Muggle London. Merlin, she would give her life for Draco to be here. She yearned for him every moment since she had woken up. The red head remembers the night when she had woken up to find him sitting under her window on the 3rd floor, his eyes filled with tears. Ginny could visibly picture the look on his face when he saw her at the Manor. He had a look of pure love and relief when their eyes locked, and Ginny knew that he still loved her. She could hear his cries for her to keep living, for her to wake up to see their children grow up. Well here she was, ready, willing, and waiting for Draco to walk through her doors and sweep her off her feet.

However, nearly had a fortnight had passed, and Draco still had not come. The woman figured it was due to nerves. Draco, however brass he may seem, was never one to come straight out with his emotions, unless other wise provoked. He knew that you knew of his affections then that's all he needed. Well, at this moment, the simple knowledge of Draco knowing she loved him wasn't good enough. She wanted him, body, mind, and soul in front of her. His arms stretched out to hold her. Ginny ached for his loving touch.

Yet, a horrific thought came into her mind, what if the Ministry had found out? What if the remaining death Bastards had found him and killed him. Ginny shook her head. _"It has only been a few days_" she told herself as the sun rose_. "They couldn't have already prosecuted and sent Draco to Azkban with in a few days."_ She nodded to herself. "_Besides, dad wouldn't send him to Azkaban, would he?"_

The woman shook her head; she didn't want to think of …well anything. All Ginny wanted to do was rest her eyes, and prepare herself to see her family again. The young girl closed her eyes, and all too soon, she was shaken awake.

"Ginny?" came a hoarse voice. The red head shifted a bit, liking the feeling of the blackness engulfing her mind. "Ginevra?" it said again. She gave a resolute sigh, and opened her eyes slowly.

As her brown eyes fully opened, she was greeted with the face of her mother, an all _too_ familiar sight. She rolled her eyes angrily, and closed her eyes once more, hoping that she would eventually go away. However when she felt a rough hand grab hers, her eyes snapped open, she knew those hands.

"Hey there." He whispered; his voice hoarse, and his eyes gleaming with tears. Her voice caught in her throat as she looked at him. His face looked so weathered, so much older than she had remembered him. He looked at her… the way… the way she didn't think he would. A small smile formed on his lips as tears fell down his face. Her mother moved out of the way as he came closer, engulfing her in a hug she didn't know she needed.

Ginny felt as if she had been hit by a ton of bricks. He wasn't angry with her? She would have sworn… "Oh Ginny." He said, kissing her head. Suddenly, she let out a sob, and buried her head in his shoulder. Crying and crying for all the things she had done to him. All the pain she had put him through, for messing up a wonderful relationship she knew they once had.

"Daddy." She said through sobs, "Daddy, I'm so sorry." He just hugged her tighter, as he rubbed her back. The red head didn't know that seeing her father would rise so much emotion. She thought for sure he was going to be angry; that he was going to yell and scream, and disown her from the family. Yet here he was, crying for her, telling her that everything was going to be ok, and that she was his little girl, and always will be.

The thing was, Ginny didn't _want_ to be his little girl, and she didn't want to appear in any way an innocent person. Because she wasn't. The woman felt that she had been robbed of all innocence in her life, that even feeling happy in the arms of her own father, felt wrong. However, she wasn't going to voice it, at this moment any way. She just enjoyed the feeling of her father, holding her tight, protecting her from the world that treated her so cruelly.

After a few moments, he let her go, and gave her a kiss on the forehead. He then backed away from Ginny and allowed her to be bombarded with by her family. Hugs and kisses were given to Ginny in abundance. They gave her words of encouragement and promise. Ginny hadn't the heart to say anything to people who loved her so much. She just sat there as face after face, hug after hug was given to her. The feeling of love was something she hadn't felt in what felt like decades; it had become foreign.

After all her brothers and sister in laws had given there love, the room filled with quite chatter. The family began talking amongst themselves, thinking of things to do when she was released, throwing her grins and happy words. The woman's brown eyes shifted from person to person, noticing small differences in their appearance. A few more lines, extra grays, new haircuts, and added children. _Many things have happened since I've been away_, she said to herself. Yet, as her eyes kept scanning the room, they settled on some one who had not wished her well.

It was _him._ He had been there the entire time, watching, listening, not daring to evens peak to her. Her lip curled, he better not have. His green eyes caught her brown ones, and he sighed angrily. _So?_ Ginny thought bitterly as he kept looking at her, _he is angry? Angry at what? For my betrayal to him and his … secrets._ She sniggered at him, what right did he have to be angry? He had disappeared for what, 2 years, with no sign of him ever coming back, and he gets to be angry with her for being right under his nose? _HA!_ Ginny laughed to herself. "_I will not let him get to me, not this time._" Soon enough, she looked away and smiled at Charlie, as he held his daughter Isis in his arms.

The entire family had stayed for a few hours, just making small talk with Ginny. The woman didn't mind, she was glad, Ginny wasn't too up for telling them about her time away. She smiled at all of them, and laughed at the Twin's jokes about Ron. _"They all looked so happy,"_ Ginny thought, _"they are so lucky that they get to be happy." _It was a few moments after laughter had died down, that they heard a loud voice.

"Where is she?!"The Weasley's heard from out side. The sound of clunking and raspy breathing could be heard from inside her room, even with the doors closed. The entire family looked from one another, thinking that Muggles were rather loud.

"Sir, if you could please wait, she's with her family now." A Muggle said, there was hoarse laughter, and the sound of coughing followed.

"With her family? Who cares! I need to talk to her…c'mon boy, don't waste time."

"Sir, if you please."

"Listen woman, if you could just tell me what room she is in, I got a 7 o'clock appointment with the Wizengamot, so if you please."

"With the who?"

"Merlin! Just tell me what room… never mind, boy look for it."

"Room 107"

"Ah, here we go!"

All of a sudden, the door burst open, and Alastor Moody walked in. Ginny blinked a few times as he took off his Wizarding robes, and hung it on the hangers. He gave a satisfied sigh, and walked towards Ginny. He gave her an awkward smile and patted her on the head.

"How are you Ginevra?" he asked in his rough voice, she furrowed her brow.

"I've been better." She responded truthfully. He nodded his head.

"Well, I think you would be up and ready to go after all that rest you got." He coughed a bit. "I haven't seen you this up and about in…"

"Alastor." Came Arthur suddenly, Ginny saw him give Moody a "_shut up now_" look. Alastor cocked a brow.

"What? Haven't you told her?" he cleared his throat. "Well, I guess I will tell her."

"No Alastor." Came Molly, "**We** will… let her know, once we get home."

"Know what?" asked Ginny questioningly. "What is going on?" she looked about the room and saw their eyes all avoid hers. They were keeping a secret from her again.

"Ginevra…" started Moody, "You've…" Ginny didn't hear the rest of what Moody was going to say, because some one came into the room.

Her heart sped up and her breathing grew heavy. Her lip curled and her brown eyes grew dim. What the hell was **he** doing here? So many emotions ran through her body as he stood there. Looking at her as if he was glad to see her. His mouth opened and closed as he stared at her intently. She felt her face heat up, as he stepped closer to her bed.

"What the bloody hell is _he_ doing here?" she asked suddenly, cutting Moody off. The entire family turned around and looked at Colin questioningly. Moody turned around quickly and shrugged his shoulders.

"Its just Creevey." He told her obviously. "I _thought_ you two were mates."

"We are **NOT** mates." Ginny said angrily. "I don't want that Death Eater in this room!" she yelled. Colin just stood there, staring at her, not daring to say a word.

"Why?" came Moody. "What's he done?"

"WHATS HE DONE!" she screamed, the entire room went quite. "He's a Death Eater, a traitor to our side! He's a worthless son of a bitch!"

"Ginny!" cried Fleur as she covered her daughter's ears.

"I want him gone!" she yelled again,

"Now Ginevra." Said Moody calmly. "You don't know the entire story."

"I don't care, " she said as she moved the covers off her legs. "If he stays, I go!" she slid her body off the bed, and immediately fell on the floor. She hit the floor with a thud and the entire room took a gasp. The red head attempted to lift herself up, but found that he legs would not support her. She felt a tear fall down her face as she kept struggling to get up. Finally, she felt herself being lifted up, and placed back onto her bed. She looked up as Bill and Charlie stepped away from her, sad expressions on their faces. The red head wiped the tears from her face, and looked at her father questioningly.

"I…" she started "I can't feel my legs." She sniffed. "Why don't my legs work?" the entire family looked away.

"See what happens?" came Moody with an arrogant voice. "See what happens when you don't tell the truth?"

"Alastor!" scolded Molly. "Not now."

"Yes now." Replied Ginny softly. "What's going on?"

"Well Ginevra." Started Moody, leaning back in his chair. "You've…"

"I'll tell her." Interrupted her Arthur, Gin furrowed her brow as she looked at him. "She should hear this from her father." He grabbed Molly's hand and gave it a small squeeze. Letting go, he pulled up a chair, placing next to Ginny's bed, he grabbed her hand.

"When you…" he started, as he locked eyes with his youngest child. "When you disappeared, every thing sort of stopped. Preparations for the war, jobs, our lives just stopped after you left. We spent months searching for you, we went every where, contacted every connection, and still did not find you. It was only Albus who assured us that you were going to be ok. We didn't want to stop our search, you were our best girl, and we couldn't loose you, if a Death Eater caught sight of you. But, the Ministry kept getting more and more threats of war, and Muggle attacks were getting more frequent." Arthur sighed. "We had to start training Ginny." He said sadly. "If we didn't, we couldn't fight the Death Eaters." He laughed sadly, "In the end, it looks like we didn't even have to train all those men." He caught Ginny's eyes. "We only needed you." The red head furrowed her brow, as he cleared his throat and kept going.

"So, training started, and a year passed. None of us had time to keep looking for you, and Albus kept telling us that you were ok, and that he knew you had a good head on you." He smiled. "You know Albus, if he says that Blood Pops are the greatest candy invented, you just have to believe him." He stopped, and for a moment it looked as if he wanted to cry and yell at the same time. Ginny squeezed his hand, and as he looked at her, she nodded for him to keep going. "Then that battle came, and Draco and one of his soldiers were captured. Now, at the time we didn't know it was you that was captured, all we knew is that we had to get you out. But Albus, once again, assured us that the both of you would be safe." His lip began to tremble. "Two months went by, and he kept telling us that it would be ok. Now, as the Minister of Magic at the time, I knew of Moody's pretend capture." He sniffed. "But what I didn't know at the time, and was told to me when we went to go save you, was that he sent his own double spy into the same manor." All eyes went to Creevey, who just stared at Ginny. The red head stared at him, their eyes locked, as his breathing grew heavy. All of a sudden, she let out a sob, and put her head into her hands. Her father touched her shoulder, but she shrugged him off. After a few moments, she told him to keep going.

"Ginny." He said softly.

"Keep going." She ordered him. He nodded, and cleared his throat again.

"I didn't find out that Creevey was in the Manor until the day we got Moody's message to come. I was sitting in my office when Albus apparated in and handed me the note. I took it, and rounded up as many Order members, since Albus didn't want any Ministry Aurors, and as we were about to apparate into the Manor, he grabbed me." His eyes darkened. "He let me know, that not only was Creevey in there, but you as well." He grabbed Ginny's hands, even though she was still crying. "And when I got there, there you were, dying in Draco's arms."

"Oh God!" Ginny screamed suddenly. "YOU!" she screamed at Colin. "You… you were, all this time, on our side…" he didn't respond. "And…" she wiped her face from the blinding tears. "And you let them touch ME!" the red head stared him down. "You let all those bastards touch, beat me…" she trembled. "RAPE ME!" the entire family looked at Colin intently. "I told you who I was Colin. I trusted you, I loved you, and I SLEPT WITH YOU! AND THIS WAS HOW YOU REPAY ME!" She shook her head; "You repaid me by standing they're, by watching, by laughing, creating drugs for them to do all those things to me." Ginny took a sharp intake of breath. "Why didn't you help me?" he just stared at her. "Why didn't you, even once stop them." She looked away. "You told me once, when I was in there." She started as she looked out her window. "That you loved me, but if you did Creevey, if you really did, you would have gotten me out of there."

"I did." He said breathlessly. "I did Ginny! I…I was the one who poisoned Malfoy, took his identity and got all 3 of you out of the prison." He began to walk towards her, but Charlie stood in his way. He looked at Ginny's rather large older brother and stepped back.

"You didn't get rid of him." She said softly. "He was still able to come out and almost kill me. I didn't see you stop him as he took me right in front of you. I didn't see you stop him as you and Zambini held me down for him." The red head wrapped her arms around herself. "I don't ever, I mean EVER want to see you again…"

"Ginny." He begged, she shook her head. "I love you."

She chortled, and wiped her eyes. "Get out."

He looked about the room, and they all had the same face of disgust, disappointment, and hatred. Creevey looked to Moody for help, who only shrugged, and told him he would see him later. The healer nodded, and as he took one last look at his love, walked out of the hospital door and out of her life forever.

"There are a few things I want to know." She started softly, as she held her head, images from the Manor trying to fill her mind. "One, what did you mean when you said "the Minister of Magic, at the time?" her father cleared his throat,

"When you were found at the manor, I didn't ever again want to leave your side, I felt … useless as a father, and I told myself that I would never leave you, abandon you like that again. Besides, when you first got here, I spent most of my time by your side, than at the office, which really needed me to persecute all those Death Eaters, but I couldn't leave you alone in this Muggle hospital…

"Why am I in a Muggle hospital?" She asked suddenly, "why wasn't I taken to St. Mungos where I could have healed quicker than this place?" she looked about. "I would have rather been in a Wizarding Hospital."

The family looked at each other and sighed. "Well." Started her father. "See, if you would have been taken to a Wizarding hospital, then it would arise questions. Every one knew that you had disappeared, and it has stayed that way. Especially since it was _I_ who put that woman's ban, and it was _my_ daughter who got into the war, as a woman, it would have been bad. The Daily Prophet would have had a field day. That was also I reason I demoted myself back to head of Misuse of Muggle Artifact office, and I was able to take care of you." He smiled as he grabbed her hand once more. "It is my fault any of this happened, if I hadn't been so… blind to everything, to who you were, I wouldn't have done what I did." He let another tear fall down his face. "And after the whole Draco thing, I told myself that I had to be here when you…" Molly elbowed him. Ginny squinted her eyes at her parents who looked as if they let too much out. Her father nodded softly, and looked back at Ginny. "Any way…"

"What Draco thing?" she asked suddenly, blinking furiously. She looked about the room, and once again, the realization that Draco wasn't here, after two weeks of waiting. The red head knew he loved her, he told her so the night she almost died, and now she was up and waiting for him, and he wasn't here. She looked back at her family, who all looked extremely uncomfortable, all except Harry that is.

"Mum, Dad…" she started. "Where is Draco?"

"Draco?!" came Moody, looking at his watch. "That Crazy bastard, haven't seen that kid for two years now." Ginny opened and her closed her mouth. Giving Moody a strange look, she laughed awkwardly.

"Moody, you saw him at least a month ago." She told him mater a factly, he shook his head.

"See, Arthur, what happens when you don't tell the truth directly, she's got all her facts wrong."

"Moody, how many times do we have to ask you to keep your mouth shut?" Moody only chortled.

He then shrugged, and stood up. Taking his robe from the hanger, he put it on, dusting it off. He shook his head as he looked at the Weasley's and sighed.

"Your family has too many secrets Molly." He warned. "I would be careful of that." He walked towards the door, the sound of his wooden leg tapping against the linoleum floor as he walked away from them.

"Two years?" Ginny asked suddenly, breaking the deafening silence in the room. "Dad, what is he talking about? We got out of the manor only a fortnight ago." Her father kept his head down, shaking it with sadness.

"No Ginny." He said softly. "It hasn't been a fortnight." He grabbed Molly's hand and sighed heavily. "Ginny, Draco left the night you almost died. He ran away because he was afraid that you were dead, and he couldn't handle it if he lost you again." He sighed.

"I remember, It was only…"

Arthur cut her off "It was over two years ago." He looked into her sad brown eyes. "You've been in comatose for two years."

Ginny nearly died. The idea of her lying in a Muggle hospital for two years shattered the world she thought she had come back too. Not only was Colin never a traitor, but her father was no longer Minister of Magic, she had been in comatose, and Draco hadn't been by her side for two years.

Ginevra fainted.

**…**

A/n: OH HOLY CRAP! I am soooo sorry for the wait you guys, but, this time, I have a very vaild excuse. You see, my best Friend died in July, a week after the last post, and I got so … confused, angry, and off course that I competely stopped writing. My friend went into comatose as well, unfortuneatly, she never woke up. It was only these last two weeks that I was able to write, it was so odd that I should be writing about some one almost dying in acoma when my friend actually did. I loved her very much, and I miss her with every breath I take. She was the greatest person, and I am sure all of you would have loved her. She was a "closet" Harry Potter Freak. Her parents gave me her Harry Potter books, it was really cute.

I will write more, since this story is on its last, I belive two or three chapters. So, I would like to send my love to..

**..Terriah ..unperfection ..ayumi-dono ..Lenne Li ..Icy Lullaby ..Kris-tina4 ..FireRoseRed ..Yodarox ..FemeDraconis ..anonymous ..Shayomac ..CarameLisSa ..Charmed-Goddess-07 ..XxRakellyxX ..Calla-ForEvEa casualty ..Nichole Malfoy ..Iced Faerie ..Death Of Roses ...Croaker ..Purus.flere ..CrazyStarz ..stoictimer ..Akarusa30991 ..siriusforeva ..Zohra89 ..Gin ..vixenfairy27 ..AznMoonDevil ..Beccs  
**** ..Sweetiepiepirate ..Lady Godiva ..Missers ..Skygazing ..Dearq-Due ..Jennifer ..Spinn ..Krystas1989 ..YashiriRanma4ever ..ThePerfectionist ..DramaQeen14  
.. ..brokentoy19 ..nickel ..MissyNoGrace ..Hadhafang ..Tom Felton's One and Only**

thanks so much for wating so long! You guy's are the greatest! I cant give a time before the next chappy will come, but it will. School is starting on Monday, so wish me luck! YAY! Junior year!!! But with out my best friend…pray that I survive.

Love,

YvettE S.

****

Next To Come:  
Home Again  
Reliving the Manor  
Too Much Love  
_and…  
_Meeting Adrian Sanders

_It's gonna be fun..._


	18. Chapter 18

_Chapter 18_

_They say n__othing is as simple as we hope it will be..._

Ginny Weasley lay flat on her back as she stared up at her ceiling. Her eyes glazed over as they fixed on one small speck of black; she frowned. Breathing in and out slowly, Ginny let her body relax, falling into a daze. The woman had been lying there for hours, watching the speck, barely noticing when the day turned into dusk, the dusk turn into night, and the night go black. All that mattered was that speck; that one speck that kept her going. What would happened if the speck moved, would she notice? What if it grew bigger, would it eventually swallow her whole?

"_That's what i need_," she said to herself, as the speck stayed exactly the same, "_something to swallow me whole, and take me away from here." _As the red head lied there, she thought about how being in her own bed felt foreign. Her family had brought her home over 2 months ago, and she wasn't liking it one bit. Since her return, her family had treated her just like she knew they would; like a fragile,china doll ready to break at any moment. Ginny sighed in anger; they actually took shifts as to who would watch her. She hated it, she loathed it, she rather them treat her like a regular person, than some patient at the mental ward.Ginevra sighed once again, this time one a bit more sympathetic. Truth be told, she felt like a mental patient. There had been times, many times, in which she felt like the walls around her were closing in, and she'd run out side in a panic, just wanting to smell the fresh air. At night, Ginny had terrible dreams, and apparently would wake the entire house up, and all of them would rush to her room, wands at the ready, as she was shaken awake from her dreams. There had been a few other things that the family felt they should worry about, but Ginny didn't care for any of it. She didn't care that she had night terrors, or she felt frightened to go to sleep, she just wanted to go back to "Ginny, future wife of Draco Malfoy."However, since the Manor, nothing went back to normal. It wasn't only her family, but the fact that Draco hadn't returned. That was worse than any night terrors, or having the walls close in on you, that was the world ending. Not having Draco there, helping her when she needed him more than anything, was terrible. There were somedays, in which Ginny would just sit on the front porch, and wait, and wait, and wait. She'd wait from dawn till dawn, hoping to see him coming from the skies. Or she'd pick the hill in her back yard where he proposed, and stare at it, hoping to see him coming over it, hands in his pockets, his eyes glistening with love.But none of it happened.Some days, Ginny swore she saw him, his blonder hair being whipped by the breeze, but it was only her imagination. Draco never came, Draco would never come and Ginevra was still having a hard time coming to terms with it.She wasn't completely alone however, she found bit of normalcy in talking with Harry. Sure, it took a while before the two -or he- could talk to her, but when they got over their own prejudices against each other, they found something: friendship. Ginny never thought too much of Harry when he came over for his "shifts". He'd usually bring her some tea, and ask if she wanted to talk. Normally, she declined, and he would nod, leaving the tea near by and finding a place to sit until her mum came home. However, there were some days, when Ginny just got tired of waiting for Draco or the images in her head were just too strong for her to handle; and she would sit with him.He was always polite, always attentive, always listening to whatever she was saying. It was... nice... that was the best word Ginny could think of. It wasn't like it used to be when they were first in love, when they would hang on each other's words, just happy to be hearing each other's voices. And it certainly wasn't like Draco, in which she would hang on his every word, staring into his gray eyes and at his soft lips as he spoke. No. It was just nice. She didn't like to look at him, she hated looking into his green eyes and see his admiration for her. That's not what she wanted, she didn't want a replacement for Draco, she didn't want some one to love her, she just wanted some one who didn't treat her as if she was something daring to go off and explode.Ginny, after a long while of staring at her speck, let her self fall asleep. It was dreamless, completely black. The red head loved this kind of sleep. Where images weren't swirling in her head. Where she didn't have to relive the manor, seeing the faces of Death Eaters who raped her, or feel her skin bleeding. No, these dreams were nice.All too soon, the red head felt the need to rise. She opened her brown eyes but closed them quickly again, she didn't want to start another day. She didn't want to see her family change shifts, or her mother tentatively talk to her about the weather, or the latest news about babies of her siblings. No, Ginny wanted to lay in bed forever, and wait for Draco to come home to her.Suddenly, a cold wind came over her, she shifted; she hated it when she left the window open. She opened her brown eyes slowly. Was her celling always so high? She attempted to move her body, but found her hands were unable to move. Looking at her hands, she found brass clamps around her wrist attached to the bed post. She pulled at her hands, she didn't get what was going on. Ginny's breathing grew heavy, why was she chained to her bed? Looking around she realized she was no longer in her own bed; she was in the Manor. Her lip trembled as she closed her eyes tight, "_this was a dream... it is just a dream..."_ she said to herself, praying that she would wake up.Opening her eyes again, she found she hadn't left, she was still bound to the bed, wearing nothing but a revealing night gown. She looked at her arms and chest, seeing bleeding scars and small red marks all over. Ginny knew exactly where she was, where her dreams decided to take her today. The red head closed her eyes and shook her head

"_Wake up!"_ She screamed, "_WAKE UP!" _She opened her eyes again, and found herself still in her dream. The sound of a door opening made her head snap to the side, and she let out a cry.

"Morning" said the low voice of Lucious Malfoy. Her body began to tremble as she looked at his naked body. He grinned devilishly at her, and sauntered over to her, licking his lips. A tear leaked out of her eyes as he sat on bed, putting an arm on either side of her body.

"No" she breathed as he kissed her neck. Feeling scorching fire on her skin where he had kissed.

"Whats wrong?" he asked, running a hand down her body, "Aren't I as good as my son?"Ginevra screamed.

Harry sighed as he opened the front door to the Burrow. He took off his traveling robe and hung it on the hat stand in the hall way. Running a hand through his messy black hair he sighed, Molly asked him to take an extra shift. He rolled his eyes as he walked towards the kitchen, hoping to get something to eat before he went to wake up Ginny. He hated calling it "his shift" but Arthur insisted that he try to keep himself from getting too close to Ginny. He didn't know what that meant, exactly. She wasn't some mental patient, not really anyway. _Not at all_ said a voice in his head, _Ginny is just... delicate_. He nodded to himself, _yes that was the word, delicate_.

Harry didn't know what to think at this point. It had been months since she was brought home and it had been hectic since. He was actually very mad at her when she was first brought back to the Burrow. She had lied to him and made him believe she was some one else. SHE PRETENED TO BE A MAN! How more bloody bizarre could one get? He hated his shifts, even refused to talk to her during them. Harry just sat there blandly, watching her as she sat at a window for hours and hours, or sitting on one of the hills in her back yard, staring off into space. He never did ask her why she sat out there, he just assumed she was some how putting herself back together. After what she had been through, he would probably do the same.Come to think of it, Harry did do just that after the fall of Voldemort. He sat in the Hogwart's hospital wing, and looked out the window for hours and hours, just searching. Hoping to find an answer fall from the sky, and tell him what to do with himself. Harry's pride had been so hurt when she woke up. Ginevra had caused him so much pain, so much emotion that he wasn't used to, and he resented her for it. She was his first love, his first real kiss, his first lover, his first heart break, his first everything. She meant more to him then he would let on. And when he saw her, after one of her "episodes" he couldn't help but fall deeper and deeper in..."Harry?" called some one from the kitchen.Harry walked into the kitchen and smiled at Molly as she placed a few eggs on a plate. Turning around, her gray hair even more evident than ever, she smiled at him. It wasn't as warm as it used to be, Harry noted, as she silently handed him a plate. Then again, did he really deserve her warmth? No, he supposed he didn't. He had done so many things, had completely ruined so many things for her family, and yet she could still smile at him? TheWeasleys were too good for him, and everyone knew it."Morning Molly." he said softly, as he walked to the table."Morning Harry, dear. How was work?""Long, as usual." he told her, as he took a bite of toast. She smiled."Well, thanks for taking the morning shift, I've got so many things to do today.""It is no problem, Molly." Harry replied, thinking of how he could spend the morning with Ginny. "Its my pleasure." There was no reply. He looked up to see Molly giving him her "_I know what it is you're thinking"_ look. He took a sip of his tea."Harry." she said finally, as she took off her apron, hanging it on a cabinet. "I don't think...""I should get so attached." Harry rolled his eyes. "It's not like that Molly."His mother figure didn't say anything, only stared at him, her eyes calculating him like always."I've known you for too long, Harry" she said finally, walking towards the living room. "I know your tells.""I don't think I have any tells." he remarked shortly, stuffing his mouth with bacon. He heard her sigh.

"I know that look in your green eyes, Harry." she said. "You still love her." He stayed quite.

"I know what your thinking now too, you're thinking "_That batty woman doesn't know..."  
_

"I never stopped loving her, Molly." the green eyes man said softly. "I left because I had too, not because I stopped loving her." Molly walked back into the dining room, her traveling robe on her shoulders. "Besides, it's different now, too many things have changed." She placed her purse around her arm and sighed at the man.

"I know that Harry." the red head replied. "And I also want you to know, Ginny feels the same way about Draco." he looked up at her quickly, furrowing his brow at her words.

"Think about it." and she walked to the fire place, throwing in a hand full of Floo Powder, and was gone with a whirl wind of green.

Harry shook his head, the woman had gone a bit batty over the years. He couldn't blame her all the same, after the War, losing Percy, and then almost losing Ginny, he could understand her... only a bit however.

"_In love_" he said, finishing off his tea. "_I may have never stopped loving her, but... I know... I'm not in love with her._" he nodded his head reassuringly. "_at least... I don't think so._"

Harry sat there for a few moments, thinking about his feelings for the youngest red head. He did like spending time with her. And, yes she was still as beautiful as he remembered her last, and ... well... of course he was attracted to her, who wouldn't be? So, he got off of work early to take Molly's shift, even though he knew Fred could do it. What did it matter that he came here after work everyday just to check up on her? If Charlie could do it, why couldn't he? They were still close.

_Your losing it Potter._ Said a voice that sounded oddly like Draco Malfoy.

"Malfoy" Harry breathed angrily. Just thinking about that Slimy git made his blood boil. What did he think he was doing? Why, Harry should go right up to Ginny and tell her ex....

Harry all of a sudden dropped his cup as the sound of screaming was heard. He grabbed his wand and ran up the steps, knowing it to be Ginny's voice. He reached her room, and found it vacant. The covers had fallen off her bed, clothes discarded all over the place. He furrowed her brow and when he heard a crash coming from the bathroom, he sprinted up the steps. Harry knocked on the door, only to hear a hight pitched cry. He pressed his ear closer, the water was running. He knocked again and heard Ginny's distinct crying. The green eyed man placed his wand on the door, and with an Alohamora, opened the bathroom door.

A cloud of steam blew in his face as soon as the door was opened. The bathroom was completely clouded with steam as the shower ran. He looked at the sink and saw many potions and products broken with in. Looking at the mirror above it, he saw it smashed to bits, few sharp edges hanging from the frame. He heard the sound of sniffling and turned to the shower which had the curtain drawn.

"Ginny?" he said softly, only to get a sniffle in return. "Are you alright?" she didn't reply. Harry readied himself for what he might see, and quickly pulled the curtain away.After the steam cleared what he saw broke his heart into a million pieces. Ginny was huddled in the corner of the bath, the scalding hot water running over her naked body. She was shivering, letting tear after tear fall down her sad face. She looked at Harry with frightened eyes, rocking herself back and forth."They wont stop bleeding" she told him, holding her arms to herself. He put away his wand, and grabbed a towel. He got closer to her, only for her to huddle closer into the corner, he sighed."What won't stop bleeding?" he asked, as he stood there, not knowing what to do exactly.

Ginevera held out her arms and Harry looked away. Her arms were bleeding badly, she obviously had smashed the mirror, bits of glass were stuck in her forearms.

"The scars won't stop bleeding" she told him shakily, her body racking with tears. "They won't go away." Harry quickly turned off the water, and wrapped the towel around her body.

Ginny gave a loud cry as Harry picked her up in his arms, carrying her back to her room. The blood from her arms was seeping onto his shirt, and all over her own body as she hugged herself. He sat her back on her bed, and grabbed a robe, putting it around her exposed body.

He then took his wand and healed each of the wounds, trying to stay calm for her. Ginny's crying was so painful, it made his heart ache. She still so fragile.

"When will they go away?" she asked, as he finished. Harry only sighed in response. "Do they ever go away?"

"I don't know." he told her softly, rubbing his own scar, she cried more.

"Do you think, if they went away" she started, as she got up, going to the window. "Draco will want me back?" the man just stared at her blankly, watching her as she stared at the window.

"Ginny..."

"Why would he want me back?" her crying had stop, and her voice had gone monotone. It was as if all emotion had left her body, and she was now a stone. "Lucious told me Malfoy's never go back to their whores.""Don't you think about what that Minger said to you Ginny." Harry told her sternly. "Don't think about it for one second, he was evil, you know it.""But he was right." she said. "Because if he wasn't, Draco would be here with me.""Ginny, don't talk like that!" he barked. "Do you hear me? You're not a whore!" Ginny had stopped talking, with a dull look on her face, she stared at the window. "Ginny?" she didn't respond, and Harry knew she was now going to recoup in her own solace.

Harry walked out of her room, and shut the door quietly behind him. He rubbed his fore head and sighed. It was time to take a visit to ******Lewisham**.

Adrian Sander's bit his lip as he reached his hands deep inside. Feeling the oil rub against his skin, letting his skin get slippery. He wiped his forehead on his sleeve and kept working. He almost had it, a few more pushes and he would be finished. With one last jerk, he was done; standing up, wiping his hands on his shirt, he smiled. How he loved fixing carburetors. The gray eyed man looked at his job well done.

Adrian looked about the garage he worked at with a satisfied smile. He started working at "**Lewisham **Garage" about two years ago, then only being an apprentice. As soon as he started working, he knew that he loved not only working with his cars, but with his hands. It kept him occupied and blocked out all other thoughts. Now, he was one of the top mechanics in all of **Lewisham**; earning up to £2,000 every fortnight. With that money, he was able to get himself a nice flat about 3 block from here and a nice car that took him where he wanted to go, when he wanted. Ah yes, this was the life.The blonde haired man loved his life. He got up every morning at 8 am, and had the cereal of his choice, with his flat mate, Ian. Then he would leave at 8:45, taking the 5 minute walk from his flat to the garage, getting some coffee on the way. He would then come in, and clock in at about 9 am. From then till well past closing, Adrian would work and work on anything that was given to him, only to take a break for a cup of tea at about 5. Then, at about 8:30 pm, he would wipe his hands on his blue shirt with his name sewed on the front, and leave for home. The rest of the night was spent watching the television with Ian, and then, at about 11 pm falling asleep in his own bed.Adrian loved his life. It was simple, it was neat, it was his own. He didn't have to worry about Wars, family, or politics. He didn't have to watch his back for enemies, or even friends. Adrian was in no pain and felt no guilt in this life. He was just a simple man, with a simple life that he loved. And what Adrian epically loved about his life, was that he wasn't tormented with the thought of a beautiful red head that was once his.

"Oi, Adrian!" called Laurence, one of the other blokes who worked in the shop. "Wanna go for a pint?" The gray eyed man rolled his eyes, he always asked that.

"Nah, I'm good mate!" he called back, going back under the hood of the car. He heard Laurence sigh, and walk towards him, he knew what was coming."Oh! Why not man? You haven't been out in... well... as long as I've known you! C'mon, i went to this new pub on the West end, and there were so many girls!""No thanks." he replied with boredom, reaching for his wrench."C'mon Adrian! I know you've got to be dying for some! Hell, its been two weeks and I am! Don't you... like girls... mate?"Adrian shook his head. "Yes, Yes i do Laurence, don't worry."The other man held his hands up. "Ay, I was just asking! But you've got to come today! I saw these two blonde waitresses, I think you will like 'em, mate! They asked me to come, and bring a friend! And seeing how women look at you, I know you will get some easily!""I prefer red heads, thanks." was Adrian's only response. He heard Laurence sigh, and begin to walk out."Fine! But thats the last time this week I ask you to go out!""Promise?" Adrian quipped back."Well, I"m leaving, you close up shop?"called his friend."Yea, I got it! Get out of here!" and with a ring for the bell on the door, Laurence was gone, leaving Adrian in his loved solitude.

It was about an hour later, that the shop door was opened again. Adrian cursed himself for not locking it, not wanting to deal with any costumers. He had just fished repairing an engine, and was dead tired. He stood up, hearing foot steps coming his way.

Wiping his hands on a red rag laying near by, he ran a hand through his hair. The footsteps stopped not too far behind him.

"Sorry, we're closed" he said, not bothering to turn around. He put away some of the tools, wondering if the person was still there."Is that how you greet costumers, Malfoy?" He stopped. The man took a deep breath and shook his head."Get out." was all he said, as he started putting away the rest of his tools. The other man didn't respond, only kept quite, and the blonde could tell he was watching him."Whats wrong, Draco? Can't give your old friend a hug?""You, Potter, were never my friend." Draco shot back, feeling his old ways seep in. Harry only smiled."Ah, there's the Malfoy I loathe." he quipped."What the hell are you doing here?""What? No tea?" Draco shot him a look, Harry sighed. Opening his mouth to speak but Draco cut him off."You know what, I don't want to know. There is nothing you could say that could tempt me to want to talk to you... or any of them. Leave!" he turned around and stared at him, watching Harry's face turn to stone. "LEAVE! You promised you would leave me alone!""Oh Malfoy!" came Harry fiercely, "You are one to talk about keeping promises!""What promise haven't I kept, Potter!""You betrayed me!""I did no such...""You took her from me!" there was silence. Harry began to breath heavily as he looked at Malfoy, thinking of the reason he was here. "I asked one favor Malfoy, ONE! That you take care of here while I was gone...""I did!" replied Draco."But you fell in love with her!" the other man shut his mouth. "You did! You broke the one and only thing I ever asked of you!""I took care of her!" said Malfoy with a hint of regret."No, what you did was make her forget about me!""Well, you should have told her..." Harry cut him off."You were 1 out of 3 people in the world who knew where I was the entire time! You knew I had to go into deep training even before I did! You were my partner, we were supposed to look after each other! As I recall, I asked you, before I left, to take care of her, and make sure she would be alright when I came back for her!" Potter yelled, feeling all the hatred he ever felt for Draco coming out. Draco only turned around, pretending to wipe the oil from the engine off."You never wrote to her." he retorted, turning around to face him."But I did tell you to send her my love.""Like it would have been the same coming from me, Potter. Considering I would then have to say 'but I don't know where he is!'" Draco scoffed at him. "Is this why you are here?" he asked, feeling his temper about to explode. "Because if it is, you are wasting your time."  
Harry didn't say anything for a few moments, only looked at him with disgust. Thinking that he should just turn around, and walk about the door. He knew it would be uselss trying to convince him, but he had to try... at least. He took a deep breath and looked at Malfoy dead in the eye."You have to come back."Malfoy looked at him as if he had just turned himself into a woman. A very grotesque sight; he then gave him a disbelieving laugh."No.""Malfoy, you don't...""NO!" Draco yelled. "Listen, I told you I was never coming back. I don't care! I don't care what's going on!" he shook his head. "If some one died, I'm sorry, send my regards. But there is nothing, I repeat NOTHING that will make me go back to that world! I hate it!" he looked at Harry disbelievingly. "I cant believe you even stayed there!""If you will just listen to me, Malfoy. There is something...""NO!!" he yelled! "NO! I don't care! I don't care what's happening! I don't care! Leave me alone! I've left it all behind. The Wizarding world can go to hell, I DON'T BLOODY CARE!" Draco breathed in and out heavily, wishing for nothing more than to have him leave. He didn't want to go back, he had a great life here, a simple life here. One where he could die in peace. There was nothing in the world that would make Draco Malfoy go back, absolutely nothing."She's awake."

Then again...

Draco furrowed his brow, blinking furiously at the words Harry had just said. Awake? She...

"Ginny's awake." He looked at Harry as if he had just sprouted four other heads. He watched as Harry took a deep breath. "Shes been awake for 5 months now." Draco's head exploded. He quickly turned around, and picked up the rag he was using earlier, scrubbing furiously at the oils in the car. "She hasn't been doing to well." He scrubbed harder. "But, she's coming around. Its been hard for her; there are so many things –images- that she relives time and time again, and it scars her every time. Most are about your father..." Draco stood up, walking to the other side of the garage. His mind had melted, he didn't know what he was saying, and yet he did. It was a mess of jumbled words that he could barely make out.

_Ginny, awake, 5 months, hard, images, scars, your father..._

"Its been so hard, not only for her, but for all of us. It's so terrible watching her trying to cope with all that she's been through, but she has. She's doing so much better, and I cant help but feel that I helped." Draco stopped pacing, and looked at Harry, who was staring at him intently. "I'm with her every day." he said, Draco furrowed his brow. "I've done what I can, and she's learned to once again trust me, love me even..."

"Then why are you here?" asked Draco dangerously low. "Why have you come? To throw it back in my face? To make me feel even worse than I already do?""I am here Malfoy..."Harry stopped, he looked down to the ground and took a deep breath. "I am here, because as she loves me, she will never love me as much as she does you. She will never fully heal with out you." Draco didn't reply. "I can only do so much, but if you came back, if you returned to her, I am sure in no time she will be back to normal. You are the only one who can bring her out from where she is. She loves you, she loves you more than she ever did me. And I am man enough to admit it.""Well, don't you deserve another medal." Draco quipped, Harry shook his head."Are you even listening to me?" Malfoy turned around, and finished putting away his tools, wanting so much to go home and get drunk off his ass, but Harry-unfortunately- had more to say."I am just going to tell you this last thing." Draco turned his head toward him. "She's going to die here, Malfoy. Maybe not physically, but mentally she will. She can't stand to be here, but she's waiting for you, that's the only reason she will stay." Draco opened his mouth, but Harry cut him off. "But she will also listen to me, and she loves me, she trusts me. So i am here to tell you, that if you don't come back for her in a fortnight, I am marrying her." The blonde clenched his fists. "I am marrying her, and taking her far away from England and far away from the Wizarding world, and the only people who will be able to find us is us. I love Ginny too much than to let her sit here, and suffer for you. She deserves so much better." Harry then turned around and began to walk out. However, when he reached the door, he turned to Draco who was glued in his place. "If you're not there in two weeks, Draco, don't expect to ever see Ginny again." and with a ring of a bell, Harry Potter was gone.

A/n: how long has it been since I posted? Too long I dare say! Well, I hoped you all liked this chapter! And I just want to tell you all that this is the 2nd to the last chapter! The next one will be the conclusion of this story! And, I will be so sad when it ends! It was a great story, I think my best work, and I am soo happy that you guys have stayed around to read it!! you are all so great!! and by you I mean...

**..Calla-ForEva ..shayomac ..ayumi-dono ..siriusforeva ..MissyNoGrace ..Icy Lullaby ..Dearg-Due ..UIY ..Tom Felton's One and Only ..ako Kanmu ..Kawaii Tropical Oasis ..Brokentoy19 ..CrazyStarz ..Yodarox ..FireRoseRed ..Dracosbaby ..carameLisSa ..Kris-Tina4 ..Virginia-Draco28 ..Terriah ..XxRakellyxX ..Sunflour ..Lenne Li ..Lilblondeiy214 ..Etre-Loup de Madame ..purus.flere ..Charmed-Goddess-07 ..stoictimer ..Iced Faerie ..Missers ..Sazzy7 ..AnitaBlake/BuffyFan ..TarynMalfoy88 ..Nikki ..Kazte ..Wizzabee ..Krystal989 ..da-Koreangirl ..WinterNightfall ..Zohra89**

Thanks all of you for your love and support! And thank you to all those who said a few words about my Best friend, it meant a lot to know that people know where I am coming from. You guys are so great!!!

I love you all so much! You've meant a lot to me over our time together!!!

_Love,_

_YvettE S. Aka Evy_

**Next To Come:  
**The Waiting Game  
Taking a Walk  
_And..._  
Winning a War...

_I've saved the best for last!_


	19. Chapter 19

_Chapter 19_

_They say love is a symbol of eternity that wipes away all sense of time, removing all memory of a beginning and all fear of an end..._

His lip twitched as he stared at her. Red hair tucked behind her ear, red lips, brown eyes staring off into the gray sky. Yes, Ginevra was a vision to him, the essence of beauty. She picked at a piece of her hair, and began to run it through her pointer finger and thumb. She sighed.

"I love the rain" the red head told him plainly. He smiled.

Harry watched as Ginny kept playing with a piece of her red hair. She rubbed it quickly, and as she began to daze off, more slowly. Merlin, how Harry loved her. He took his hand, and rubbed her back softly. Turning to him, she smiled. However, the smile she gave wasn't exactly what he was hoping for. It was a sad smile, in a sense. One with love, but not enough to lite her whole face. It was of content, and submission.

Ginny licked her lips, and went back to staring at the small hills of her back yard. Harry knew she didn't love him as much as he loved her. She had told him quite plainly, but that fact that she did love him, at all, was enough for Harry. He knew, they _both_ knew, that he was her only ticket out of here. That if they didn't stick by each other, then they would slowly fade away.

Harry had nothing. Well, he had _things_, all material. He had money, 2 homes, fame, and a job; but he was never one for those kind of things. All Harry wanted, all his life, was some one to love, to call his own. He never had a real family, and the Weasley's were as good as. Then, he had Ginny, and messed it up so badly that they could never be the same. However, if she was willing to take a chance on him again, and let him love her like she should have been loved, then what was the problem? Harry was fine with her contempt for him. He loved her, thats all that really mattered.

That, and the fact that a week had passed, and still no Draco.

"_I hate gray." _Ginny thought to herself as she looked out at the scenery before her. Gray was never a good color for her, it usually meant bad things, and you knew it was a cold day if the sky was gray. Not to mention, a certain somebody who has chosen to completely abandoned her had gray eyes and silver _gray_ hair. She shook her head, no, she will NOT think about him.

Ginny closed her eyes, and tried to be happy with Harry. She tried, with all her might to see herself happy again. She did, she saw herself, a few years into the future, living some where with him and going out to Muggle movies, and eating Chinese food while watching T.V. Yet, whenever she took a closer look at herself, she was never truly happy. Her smile never met her eyes, and it saddened her.

Looking out into the rolling hills of her back yard, she wished for so many things to be different. She wished that her life would have been better than what she was left with. If Harry hadn't of left her like he did, then none of this would have happened. She would have waited for him; Ginny would have waited her whole life for him, as long as he promised to come back.

There was an odd feeling in the pit of her stomach as she thought of how her life could have been different. The woman thought of how she and Harry could have been married by now, children even. How they would be so in love and so happy, that every one would be envious. She wondered if they would have been married right after the war, or if they would have waited a while.

Then again, there was also the possibility that she herself messed her own life up. How, if she'd of just stayed home and listened to her family then she wouldn't have gone to war. If she hadn't been so head strong and stubborn, would she and Draco be married? Would they have had children by now? Would the two have gone back to the Malfoy Manor and change it from a cold, heartless place, to one of warmth and love? Or would they find a place to call their own; where their brown eyed, blond children could grow up?

There were so many_ "if's"_ and _"How's"_ running through her head, that she had to close her eyes and realize that _this_ was her life. Harry did leave her with no promises of return. She was head strong and stubborn. She did go into war, she did do stupid things. Draco did leave her dying in a hospital for two years, and now she was going to live the rest of her life in content.

Ginny turned her head slightly and looked at Harry. He was a good man, not the best (then again who was?) but good. He loved her, he had told her so plenty of times. He had a good personality, and lots of warmth. Not to mention that he had money and plenty of connections to get them out of here. She smiled sadly to herself, Harry may not be Draco, but she loved him enough. He could get her out of here; and that was more important to Ginny than love.

_

* * *

_

_Time. Time. Time. Time. _

_For a moment, couldn't time stop? Just this once? Please, some one, listen to me. Give me a few more moments just to think. I can't do this, it won't be the same. She won't love me like she used to. But I love her. I love her more than I ever did. I don't want this to be a hard decision, but it is. How can I go back to her, knowing that all her pain is because of me? She sacrificed everything for me. How can I look her in the eye, knowing that all I can ever offer her... is me... _

_I know I can make the right decision, just give me more time... please..._

_

* * *

_

The day had turned out to be an awkward, but pleasant one all the same. The rain from last week had slowly floated away, leaving a blue sky over the Burrow. There were a few fluffy white clouds hanging about, but nothing to be worried about. A soft breeze blew across the land, making the leaves quiver. The bright sun was slowly setting beyond the hills, as the night slowly made its presence known.

It was_ should_ have been a good day to get engaged.

The dead line had come, and Draco hadn't shown up. The green eyed man had gotten up at 5 am, and apparated over to the Burrow, just to see if Draco sneaked in with out his knowledge. All he found was Arthur and Molly asleep in his study, and Ginny sound her her bed. After that, he just sat on the porch, waiting for Malfoy to pop up any second, and steal Ginny away from him. But when 11 A.M. Rolled around, he figured Draco wasn't going to make an early morning appearance.

By that time, Harry was ready to get it over and done with, but Ginny had decided to sleep in, so he didn't get a chance. When she woke and had showered and dressed, she told Harry that she wanted to go to Flourish and Blotts to pick up a book Hermione had recommended, so from 11 to 1 was gone. Then, the came home and she fixed lunch, filled with a salad, soup, and some sandwiches; 2-4. She then spent an hour reading her book, as he walked the surroundings of the Burrow, looking for signs of Draco and good fortune. He came back in, and she got up to make tea for the two of them, smiling sweetly as she gave him two sugars, and no creme.

Harry was, looking at Ginny with such interest that it was driving him mad. She slowly stirred her tea and gave a sigh. Bringing the cup to her mouth, she downed the rest in an unladylike fashion and placed the cup back on the table. Wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, she looked at him and shrugged.

"I love lavender" she said softly. Placing her cup, tea pot, sugar and creme back onto the tray and taking it into the kitchen.

As Harry watched her clean her cup he wondered to himself; was this what their life was going to be like? Where they going to spend the whole day in each others company, and not really be together? Could they be happy this way? He was sure _he _could, but could Ginny? Would the woman he loves learn to resent him as time passed? Was she always going to think that he was the one who ruined her true happiness? He gave a sigh, he loved her, but was this right?

Suddenly, Ginny came back into the kitchen and sat next to him. He looked at her oddly as she took his hand in her own and smiled.

"Full?" she asked, rubbing his hand with her thumb. He looked at their intertwined hands and then back at her. Her brown eyes were bright, not sparkling, but bright. Her smile was sweet, and her hands were warm. "I know its not much, but I can't cook like mum, she's a bloody genius. Remember the time I tried to cook that lamb stew?" she grimaced as he smiled.

"It tasted like... well... _nothing_ like lamb."

"You told me you liked it!" Ginny screeched, laughing as she hit his shoulder, he grinned.

"Of course I told _you_ that, I just wish I could have told my stomach the same." Ginny shook her head, causing her red hair to fall across her face. He stared at her thinking of how beautiful she really was. Thinking about how much history they had together. Harry was taken out of his thoughts when he saw the queer look the red head was giving him.

"You O.K.?" she questioned.

"Care for a walk?" he asked softly. She gave him a small grin and nodded silently. The two stood up, hand in hand, and walked out side into the oncoming sunset.

Yes, he could live like this.

The two walked around the Burrow, talking lightly of family and work. Then, after circling the house a few times, they took off towards the hills. That's when things became quite. The two just walked in comfortable silence, hands having been let go a long time ago. She picked at a flower she had took earlier, as he held his hands behind his back. The breeze blew nicely on their faces, making their hair whip slightly. Harry looked over at Ginny who was smiling as she picked the petals off the daisy, letting them fall to the ground.

"What are you doing?" he asked, watching as she looked up at him with a grin.

"Just... thinking." she told him, letting the stem of the daisy fall to the ground.

"About?" he inquired, stopping at the foot of one of the hills. She shrugged.

"Of a game I used to play with Daisy's when I was younger." she laughed to herself. "a silly game now that I think of it."

"Oh? Did this game include the decapitation of a flower, or is that the added bonus?" Ginny rolled her eyes.

"Only if it gave you the answer you wanted, then yes, it was an added bonus." He took her hand in his and sighed. For some reason or another, the moment of truth had arrived.

"Ginny?" he inquired softly, taking the other hand. She looked at him with quizzical eyes, waiting silently for him to go on. He looked at their intertwined hands and gave a sigh. "I...I feel as if we... we've come to a place in our relationship that...we love each other... and care a lot about each other. I think... I think that in a sense... we belong together..." He looked at her in the eyes, but saw that she wasn't looking at him. He tried to get her attention, but saw her mouth slowly drop and her brow furrow.

"Oh my God." she breathed softly. Harry looked down again, he knew this was too soon, but it was too late, it was now or never.

"Ginny, I think that we..." but she let go of his hands, as her eyes began to turn red, and shinning tears appeared. "are you O.K.?" she didn't respond, only kept looking past him. Slowly, Harry turned around to see what could have captured Ginny's attention so.

"Oh." was all Harry said as a man with blond hair appeared over the hills.

* * *

Ginny's day had started out nice enough. She had slept in late due to her insomnia that she was now used to. Normally, Ginny hated sleeping. She had wasted two years of her life sleeping, did she really need more? Also, her nightmares were always so horrible, that the mere thought of sleeping seemed almost to frightening to attempt. However, this last night was enjoyable, and in the morning, the red head had felt renewed and fresh. It was twelve when she got up, and quickly made her way to the showers, getting dressed for another day. Getting down stairs, the woman saw a flushed Harry Potter at the bottom of her stairs. 

"Morning Harry." she greeted, going over to the kitchen to get some coffee. Ginny watched as he ran a hand though his already messy hair and sighed.

"Uh... Ginny... uh... I think.... that... you know..." she furrowed her brow at his oddness, Harry was a bit off his rocker lately. "I think that... today we... we should..."

"Go to Flourish and Blotts." she gave him a cup of coffee as well. "There is this book that I want to get, Hermione says its wonderful. Can we go?" he furrowed his brow, as if to say no, but then sighed.

"Yes... of course" he responded, almost as if he were confused. She nodded at him slowly, and finished her coffee.

So, Harry took her to Diagon Alley, following her like a shadow. There were even a few times Ginny wanted to loose him in the crowd, he was suffocating her. However, his keen eyes kept catching hers, and every single time he blushed. She just smiled at him softly, and kept on looking for her book. He was being rather queer. After getting her book, he insisted that they go back to the Burrow, rather than hang around Diagon Alley all after noon.  
"I hate the crowds" he told her, as he led her through the swarms of people.

The two then came home, and Ginny made him lunch, because during their visit to Diagon Alley, he kept rubbing his stomach and licking his lips. _Well,_ Ginny thought as he sat at the dinner table, _if he's man enough to take on the dark Lord, I'm sure he can handle my cooking._ The red head made him some soup, sandwiches and a salad. She couldn't have ruined it if she tried; and Harry ate it as if it were his last meal.

After ward, she insisted that she get started on the book, because Hermione told her that it was a page turner. However, Ginny didn't get much reading in because Harry kept coming in and out of the house in a crazed manner. Ginny was almost afraid that she should call a doctor, he was being so queer. After about an hour, Harry practically stormed back into the house and sat at the dinner table, giving a loud sigh. The red head figured it was a clue... he was hungry again. So, putting her delightful book down, she got up to make afternoon tea, hoping it would make him relax a bit.. That seemed to make Harry more anxious, nodding his head absently, rubbing his hands together, as he watched her.

Ginny placed the tea in front of Harry and gave him sugar with no creme. The woman watched him as he drank it slowly. She loved him, yes, but not truly. She loved his soft voice, his attentiveness, the way he stared at her as if she were the only woman alive. Yet all this never reached the tips of her heart, because it was full with the love for Draco. Still, Harry would make a good husband, if he should ever ask. He would give her the stability she desperately needed in her life. Their fence would be white and their children would have black hair and brown eyes.

He gave so much, and she could barely give him anything.

"I love lavender" she told him with a grin. Ginny finished off her cup of tea, and took the saucers back into the kitchen. As she washed her dish, the woman looked out into her back yard and at the rolling hills. Lord, she missed Draco.

But what could she do? What on earth could she possibly do to make him come back to her? Should she stay cooped up in her room, spend day after day at her window again, waiting for the day for him to return? Should she go out and look for him? Go to the ends of the earth and the bottom of the Gringotts Vault in search of him, as he had done for her? Maybe she should get a Time Turner, and go back to the night she left him, and stay instead.

Or Maybe, she should just move on.

Ginny knew that option wouldn't bring Draco back, but it would stop her heart from aching so. She would never stop loving Draco, that was for certain, but she could stop waiting. Ginny gave Draco 2 years and 6 months for him to come back to her, and he never did. She looked back at Harry who was finishing off the last of his tea. Harry was a great man, who tried his best to right all his wrongs. He was by her side, even when she was Casey Cache. He was always sympathetic, kind, sweet, and just_ there. _Ginny dried her hands, and sat next to Harry. He looked at her quizzically as she took his hand in hers; _I'm sorry Draco_, she said to herself as she smiled at Harry. _I don't think I can wait any more._

"Full?" she asked, rubbing his hand with her thumb. The action surprised her more than it did Harry, as he looked at their hands. "I know its not much, but I cant cook like Mum, shels a bloody genius. Remember the time I tried to cook that lamb stew?" Merlin, that stew was terrible.

"It tasted like... well... _nothing_ like lamb." he joked.

"You told me you liked it!" she said in an unnaturally high pitch.

"Of course I told _you_ that, I just wish I could have told my stomach the same." Ginny shook her head, laughing. The woman remembered him grinning in a pained manner as he tried to eat her creation. His face had practically turned green as he finished his bowl. It was the sweetest thing he could have done for her. And in return, she rubbed his back as he threw it up later in the bathroom.

"Care for a walk?" he suddenly asked. Ginny looked at him for a moment, looking into his deep green eyes and with a smile she nodded.

The two walked around her house making unimportant small talk. They talked about things that one would talk about with a co-worker at the office. She talked about Fred's new muggle girlfriend, and Harry talked of paper work that was piled high on his desk at the ministry. There was a inside joke or two shared, and a few chancing glances, but nothing more. After walking around the house got boring, the two started off towards the lush green hills.

The walk was silent as the Burrow faded farther and farther away. She picked up a white daisy from the grass and began to pick at its leaves, feeling Harry's green eyes on her. She sighed, as the thought of being Mrs. Draco Malfoy felt like a distant memory. Ginny picked at a petal and let it fall to the ground, saying: _"he loves me, he loves me not, he loves me, he loves me not..."_ she shook her head a petal fell on _He loves me,  
__  
_"What are you doing?" came Harry's voice, taking her out of her thought. She shook her head,

"Just... thinking" she said, as she let the last petal fall, saying "_He loves me not"_ and thinking how sad she had become, basing the love of Draco on a daisy. Her brown eyes looked up at Harry who had stopped at one of the hills.

"About?" he then asked. She sighed.

"Of a game I used to play with daisy's when I was younger. A silly game now that I think of it." he smiled lovingly, and smirked at her. _Draco had a better smirk. _

"Oh? Did this game include the decapitation of a flower, or is that the added bonus?" The red head rolled her eyes at his comment,

"Only if it gave you the answer you wanted, then yes, it was an added bonus." Harry then grabbed her hand quickly, and sighed.

As Harry began to talk, Ginny's heart raced. Was Harry ...proposing?

The first thought that hit Ginny's mind was that she was going to say yes because she _had_ to. The love she thought she felt for him flew out the window as he spoke. Ginny then realized: she couldn't live like this any more. Stuck in her house for days and days; being treated like mental patient in her own home. Feeling so trapped inside her body that she felt she was going to bust at any moment. She needed a change in her life, she needed to be free from London and the memories that haunted her day and night. His words were sweet and simple, but all Ginny could think about was picking up the Daily Prophet and seeing the faces of Death Eaters she could remember so vividly in her mind.

"Ginny?" Harry asked, she just looked him in the eye, not daring to speak. She loved him... yes... but to marry him? So soon? She couldn't even go a single day with out thinking about Draco, let alone marry some one else. She felt the tears and sobs wanting to escape; but she realized that she had to escape first.

"I think that in a sense... we belong together..." she looked up at him and quickly past him at the setting sun when her heart stopped.

It felt as if the world had crumbled around her, and all that was left was him. She blinked a few times, trying to see if her mind was playing tricks on her again. Thinking that it was just another episode; God she hoped it wasn't. For coming over a hill, was a blond man she never thought she'd see again. Her mouth fell open as he still walked closer.

"Oh my God" was all she could say, as he stopped at the top of the hill, looking at her dead in the eye.

Ginny could see his face clearly; it looked strained and confused. As if him being here made no sense to him. He ran a hand through his blond hair and kept looking at her.

"Ginny, I think that we..." but she let got of his hands; Draco would not be happy to see Harry touching her. She took a small step away from Harry and kept her eyes glued on Draco. This had to be a dream, this had to be fake; the God's wouldn't be so kind as to grant her one and only wish. Her life was horrible, it always had been, why would they give her the only thing she ever wanted?

"Oh" was what took Ginny out of her stupor. She looked at Harry who turned back to face her, and smiled.

"I guess you better get to him." thats when the tears fell. Harry was bowing out.

"I..." she started, but he shook his head.

"I knew he would come." the man told her simply. "Draco would never let me win." Ginny looked past him at the blond who was still standing on the hill. She looked into Harry's green eyes, as he placed a hand on her face. "I love you." he said simply. "but he loves you more." Her mind couldn't register what Harry was saying. "I'm sorry for everything I've done to you, Ginevra." he wiped a tear away from her face and smiled sadly. "Now go." he began to walk away.

"Harry!" she called suddenly, feeling the world crashing back around her. She shook her head as she looked at him, wanting to say so many things, but not having the strength. He only smiled sadly at her.

"There is nothing more to say, Gin." he nodded. "Go, before that stupid bloke gets the wrong idea." And with another sad smile, Harry turned around and made his way towards the house.

Ginny felt as if her feet were made of lead. She wanted to go to him, but didn't know how. This wasn't how it was supposed to go. She was going to marry Harry and get far away from England, and far away from the thoughts of Draco. Draco didn't love her, he didn't want a used, broken, deceiving girl. She didn't deserve him, he had been away so long, it had to be the reason. The brown eyed girl just kept looking up at him, feeling tear after tear fall down her face. He ran another hand through his hair and slumped his shoulders. Draco then turned around and looked behind him.

"NO!" Ginny yelled suddenly, and took off running towards Draco. She wouldn't lose him again. She wouldn't even give him the chance to give it a second thought. He was here, he had come back to her, and Ginny wasn't going to let him go again. The red head ran as fast as she could up the hill, watching as his form came closer and closer. He just stood still, watching her as if in a trance. When she reached the top, she stood in front of him, panting, wiping to tears from her eyes so she could see him clearly.

"This isn't real." she whispered to herself as she stared at him. His long blond hair, those beautiful silver eyes, pink lips and perfect nose. She rubbed the tears away from her eyes, and still he stood there, staring at her intently. His eyes were filled with mixed emotions, that Ginny didn't know if he was even happy to see her. She stood at arms length away from him, afraid that if she stood too close, he would disappear like smoke. He blinked, and Ginny furrowed her brow.

With unknown strength, Ginny took a step towards, and let more tears fell when he didn't suddenly vanish. She took another step, feeling his heavy breath on her face. She kept her eyes locked with his as she took the final step, being so close to him that she could feel his warmth. Looking up into his gray eye, her lip began to tremble.

"Draco?" she said in a whisper. He looked down at her, not moving. Then suddenly, Ginny felt a hand of her face.

"Ginny." he said softly, caressing the side of her face. "My beautiful Ginny."

The woman then threw her arms around him and held him close to her body. She cried and cried, letting all the torment of him away from her out. He wrapped his arms around her and clung to her as if for dear life. The two just stood there on the hill, with the setting sun behind them, holding each other for the first time in over 3 years.

"I'd thought I lost you." she told him through sobs, taking in the scent that was Draco. "I thought you never wanted to see me again."

"No." he said, as he dug his face into her red hair. "I love you." she cried harder. "I thought I had lost_ you; _I couldn't take it. I couldn't take losing you again."

"Oh Draco." she cried. All her words were drowned out by her sobs, and Draco pulled away, holding her head in his hands.

"Don't cry, love." he said, kissing her lips quickly. "There is no need to cry any more."

"I lost so much because of the war." Ginevra told him, resting her forehead on his chest. "I lost you, my family, my friends, my... my soul..." she sniffed. "I am so sorry." Draco gently lifted her head with his fingers, and smiled at her.

"You never lost me, Ginny. I never stopped loving you, not even for a moment. I am the one who should be sorry. You did so much, so much for me and I didn't deserve it." He kissed her lips again. "But it's over, Ginny, the war is over, and now we can start our life over again." He took her hand, and gently slipped her old engagement ring back onto her finger. She looked at it with her mouth open, and then up to Draco.

"What?" she asked softly. "I... I'd thought I lost this."

"I've had it since... since the Manor." he told her, taking a few stray hairs out of her face. "I've held onto it for so long, I knew you would wear it again some day." he smiled at her. "I love you."

"I love you, too." she said, pressing her lips against his.

The two stayed in that kiss for what felt like years. Pouring their love, happiness, and relief into it. As the two broke apart, she rested her head on his shoulder, as he held her close. The two closed their eyes, and focused on the only thing that mattered, each other.

The pink sky above melted away, as the end of another day was put to a rest. The bright moon hung in the sky, as little stars popped out of the blanket of dark blue. A soft wind blew over the hills of the Burrow, rustling the trees. And two lovers stood in each others embrace knowing that after all their battles, they had finally won the war...

_The End.  
_

**Next to Come:**_  
_Thank You


End file.
